Training Programmes

The Interface between Cabinet/Executive, the Planning Committee and the Planning System

Council structures in accordance with provisions of the Local Government Act 2000 have been established in most authorities. These are based on the concept of separating “executive” decision making from “policy making” and its “scrutiny” from “representation” among the functions of Councils and individual Councillors. The “Leader/Executive” model is the one adopted by most authorities.

The plan-making aspects of town planning, including the statutory development planning functions, are seen as coming within the ambit of the “executive”. However, development control is perceived as a “regulatory” function, to be handled by a Planning Committee or similar, operating in much the same way as previously. The interface between these functions is clearly an issue and has been frequently raised in discussions about the new form of authority decision-making structure.

In a separate though related development, some authorities have structured their organisations in recent years on the basis of functions such as policy/strategy, promotion/advocacy, regulation etc. This has also had implications for traditional “integrated” Planning Departments; it is now quite common for the policy aspects of statutory planning to be organisationally separate from development control.

This workshop focuses on the implications of these important issues for the operation of the planning service. It is aimed exclusively at key Councillors involved in the local government planning process.

Specific objectives of the workshop are:

to provide a reminder of the basic principles of local authority structures since the Local Government Act 2000 and how they affect planning
to briefly review the possible changes resulting from forthcoming legislation, policy announcements etc
to clarify the opportunities and the problems which contemporary structures present for the planning service and how these impinge on Councillors with special responsibilities
to explore different models for the planning service within local authority structures and how these may be evolving in practice; including especially:
- mechanisms for effective links between Councillors involved in policy development and those involved in development control decision making
- effective Councillor contribution to the development of planning policy generally
to develop techniques for handling particular problems faced by Portfolio Holders and Planning Committee Chairs.

Download a leaflet/booking form here

Presenters:	Steve Leach and Andrew Ashcroft
Course Type:	2 Day Workshop
Max. Numbers:	20
Date(s):	TBC...
Programme:	Workshops for Key Councillors on Planning/Development Control Committees
Discount Scheme: