“Planning Committees are just an annoyance” – Discuss

The new year is barely a week old (oh yes, Happy New Year etc.) and we’re already at Planning Committees for our clients. 

All of us at the CCP has served on (or even chair/ed) Planning Committees (some are still suffering them), so we have a unique insight in these strange, mysterious and at times opaque committees…most importantly, we understand how they work.  

But back to the question, are they just an annoyance? Well, sometimes they are. We have all got the scars of taking our application with officers’ recommendation for approval to the committee and the Councillors rip you and your application to shreds and refuse you. But sometimes they can also be very useful. We have taken a lot of applications with officers’ recommendation for refusal to committee and the committee approved it. 

The fact of the matter remains that Planning Committees are here to stay, and they do fulfil a legal duty. They remain the ultimate decision makers and even the Planning and Infrastructure Act is not changing that. They are being streamlined (fewer members on the committee so hopefully less talking) and some smaller applications should now be dealt with delegated powers (but they can still be called to committee by ward Councillors). 

Committees are also two-edged things. There was a very interesting case last year where an objector didn’t bother to show up and lodge his objections to the committee. Later on, the objector then tried to overturn the decision and it Court simply said, sorry matey, you had your chance at the initial legal process (i.e., the committee) and you didn’t take it so now it is too late to cry about spilt milk… the horse has bolted. 

The same goes for you as an applicant. The initial legal process, no matter how annoying it is, is part of the legal decision-making process and you need to make sure you put on the best show. The committee is essentially a jury, and you need to convince them of your case. You need to understand how they work, how they think and how to get them on side to find in your favour. 

We cannot get away from the fact that democracy is completely imbedded and entrenched in our planning system that leads to the next important issue… POLITICS! Thank heavens we live in a health democracy with five major Political Parties dominating local politics. It ensures that (almost) every person’s view is represented. We vote for the candidates of the Parties who most closely represent our views and we vote for them to represent our views and make decisions on our behalf. FACT: they do represent the will of the majority of people in a specific area. 

Understanding the political ideology of the Political Parties these Councillors represent is essential. If you don’t respond and reflect their beliefs and ideology in your application, don’t be surprised if they turn your application down!

So, don’t be annoyed… just call me! 

Until next week,

Henry