P8.6: Role of Members

Ultimately it is the Members who are responsible for the determination of planning applications for large scale development. It is therefore important that they are fully briefed on development proposals and the progress of large scale applications on a regular basis. In this way they will be informed and will be better able to respond appropriately when approached by the general public or other interested parties, as well as being able to input their local knowledge. As recommended in Stage 4 of this Guide an overall approach to Member involvement should be established early on in the project. This should recognise the different roles of Members be they Leader, Portfolio Holder, Committee Chairman, Committee Member and / or Local Member. Agreed methods of engagement should be tailored to reflect these different roles and responsibilities. It is important that the authority’s position as decision maker is not prejudiced and a decision on any specific application not pre-judged. The Local Government Association report on “Member Engagement in Planning Matters” sets out how this can be managed without compromising the decision making process.

Once a formal application has been submitted officers should arrange an early site inspection and briefing for Local Members and Members of the Planning Committee. In this way they can gain an early appreciation of the site and its context and be briefed on the proposed development, as well as the main planning issues / considerations. Such arrangements also give the opportunity for Members to ask questions and raise issues, which can be fed into the assessment process and be addressed sooner rather than later. If the project is such that the application site spans more than one Local Authority area it will be important to make coordinated arrangements for visits / briefings in order to achieve consistency of approach. In some instances it might be appropriate to arrange visits to other developments either of a similar nature or by the same developer in order that Members can appreciate the relevant issues and view first hand the outcomes of earlier developments.