Local Review Bodies - key principles of their operation and how Councillors should conduct themselves
This workshop has been designed as a briefing for councillors and others involved. It aims to equip participants with the basic skills and knowledge associated with participation in Local Review Bodies so that they can operate with a confidence based on competence. More specifically it covers:
- the context of the new framework so that councillors understand how they fit in
- a briefing on Local Review Body procedure
- good practice on how the Local Review Body members should operate so as to maximise the quality of their decision making and protect them from legal and other challenges
- the various (and potentially conflicting) roles of councillors and officers involved
- the parameters of the Local Review Body’s decision making powers; what they can and cannot take into account (including a session on material planning considerations)
- criteria for deciding the method of determination appropriate to different types of application
- the probity dimension of Local Review Body membership and how members should conduct themselves inside and outside LRB meetings.
The workshop will refer to and encourage discussion of examples of cases likely to be presented to a Local Review Body in the authority concerned and the probity and planning issues that they raise. It will also allow ample time for questions and discussions, since by its very nature the workshop will have an exploratory dimension and will need to consider unanticipated issues. To facilitate this, the workshop will be handled by two TRA presenters with contrasting backgrounds.