Decision details

26.1     The Committee was asked to give further consideration to a proposed merger of the Planning and Rights of Way (RoW) Committees, to improve customer service and to offset some of the costs of establishing the Fire & Rescue Service Scrutiny Committee agreed by Council in December 2019, as set out in a report by the Director of Law and Assurance (copy appended to the signed minutes).

26.2     The Senior Adviser reminded members that the Planning and RoW chairmen spoke at the previous meeting and their views had been recorded.

26.3     With the permission of the Chairman, Cllr Urquhart advised that the RoW Committee’s workload had reduced over the previous three years due to the deregulation act and decisions being delegated to officers in consultation with the Chairman; and that neighbouring authorities reported that a merged committee works well. This, and other pressures being faced, made it difficult to justify the continued existence of separate committees.

26.4     The Committee was mostly supportive of the proposed merger, although noted that site visits could be problematic if several applications had to go to one meeting at any point. It was supportive because of the positive customer service impact; applications could be considered more frequently; and the experience of neighbouring authorities was known. The Committee believed that the merger should go ahead as soon as practicable after the decision is taken by the Council on 6 November 2020 because of this.

26.5     Cllr Walsh therefore proposed that (in recommendation (2)) the words, ‘from after the election in May 2021’ are deleted and ‘as soon as possible’ is inserted. He was seconded by Cllr Jones. A vote was taken and the amendment was agreed.

26.6     In response to members’ questions, the Senior Adviser commented that if the merger is to be brought into effect immediately, the next RoW meeting scheduled for early November would be the final meeting.

26.7     Resolved -

(1)        That the County Council be recommended to approve a merger of the Planning and Rights of Way Committees in the light of the improved customer service it would deliver to rights of way customers and the need to make savings as a result of establishing a Fire & Rescue Service Scrutiny Committee; and

(2)        That the Director of Law and Assurance be authorised to prepare the necessary revisions to constitutional documents for the County Council on 6 November 2020, to take immediate effect.