Plan-sifting system backed to continue for West Norfolk

West Norfolk councillors have made decisions on nearly a fifth fewer planning applications following the introduction of a new sifting process, a report says.

The procedure was condemned in some quarters as an attack on democracy when it was introduced last year.

But a borough council committee is now being asked to support plans for it to continue, following its initial 12-month tenure.

Under the present system, a six-member sifting panel, made up of four councillors and two senior officers,meets to decide which schemes should be referred to the borough council’s planning committee.

A report to be debated by the council’s corporate performance panel later today said the panel includes the planning committee’s chairman and vice-chairman, currently Vivienne Spikings and Mick Peake, development portfolio holder Richard Blunt and another rotating planning committee member.

The officers on the panel are the council’s director of environment and planning, Geoff Hall, and assistant director Stuart Ashworth.

The report said 104 applications had been considered by the planning committee between March 2018, when the system was introduced, and the most recent committee meeting earlier this month.

That figure is down 19 per cent on the 128 schemes examined in the previous year before it came into effect.

Mr Ashworth wrote: “Whilst 19 per cent less applications is considered to be a relatively modest reduction compared to the year before, it is considered that this has certainly helped in reducing unnecessary work for officers and indeed members of planning committee.”

The report also reveals that 87 applications have been taken to sifting panel meetings since the system was brought into force.

Just under half of those schemes, 41, were subsequently referred to the planning committee for a decision. The remainder were determined by officers under delegated powers.

Under the previous rules, applications were automatically referred to the planning committee for a decision, where the views of the parish council whose area the scheme fell within differed from that of borough planning officials.

Although that no longer applies, the report argues that the impact of the change has been “relatively low” and the results of sifting meetings are now published on the borough council website as a result of discussions with parish representatives.

It adds: “There remains the option of borough councillors calling in applications if parish councils are so concerned about one.”

The plan to extend the system is set to be the subject of a forthcoming report to the council’s cabinet.