Agenda item

RECOMMENDATION:

Following a request from Councillor Laming, a work programme request has been drafted and attached to this agenda. The Scrutiny Committee is asked to consider the request and if supported to establish a time-limited Task & Finish Group to conduct a focused review of Winchester City Council’s Planning Enforcement Service as set out.

Councillor Brian Laming introduced the work programme request. He endorsed the proposal to form a Task and Finish Group to review operations, assess strengths and weaknesses, and compare performance with other councils.

Councillor Jackie Porter, Cabinet Member for Place and Local Plan provided a further introduction which included the following points:

1.    The review was welcomed as an opportunity to reassure councillors that the council was performing well in enforcement, while also learning from the practices of other local authorities.

2.    It was acknowledged that while not all information could be shared publicly, improving communication with Ward councillors on the status of enforcement issues was important.

3.    The review offered a chance to ensure councillors were familiar with the updated processes under the Enforcement 2025 policy.

4.    It was noted that the council did not have an unlimited budget, and it was not always expedient to pursue every case, but it was essential to be clear about the rationale for enforcement action to ensure successful outcomes for the public.

5.    The request was seen as a positive step towards improving transparency and public access to information regarding enforcement outcomes.

Councillor Danny Lee addressed the committee to support the request. He stated that the current planning enforcement process was protracted, which caused community stress, environmental harm, and damaged public trust in the council. He noted that the existing powers under the Town and Country Planning Act were weak and that the government had no immediate plans to reform the system, necessitating local solutions. While praising the professionalism of council officers, he attributed the problems to the system within which they had to operate.

He suggested that the Task and Finish Group should consider several key issues, including cumbersome evidential standards, inconsistent police support for site visits, and a lack of role clarity between Winchester City Council and the South Downs National Park. He proposed actions such as using drones for site validation, making stronger use of legal notices, and establishing clearer protocols with the police for support. He also recommended that the group review the enforcement plan, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and the need for enhanced training and IT tools for the team, ensuring any new proposals were future-proofed against upcoming legislation.

The committee was asked to consider the request and if supported to establish a time-limited Task & Finish Group to conduct a focused review of Winchester City Council's Planning Enforcement Service as set out.

The committee proceeded to ask questions and debate the report. In summary, the following matters were raised.

1.    A question was asked if the Leader could be requested to lobby the local Member of Parliament to take forward the need for stronger national planning enforcement legislation.

2.    Clarification was sought regarding the different information formats for South Downs National Park and Winchester City Council cases, with a request to consider a commonality of presentation.

These points were responded to by Councillor Jackie Porter, Cabinet Member for Place and Local Plan and Councillor Martin Tod, Leader and Cabinet Member for Regeneration accordingly.

RESOLVED:

1.    That a time-limited Task and Finish Group be established to conduct a focused review of the Planning Enforcement Service as set out in the report.

2.    That Councillors Brook, Laming, Murphy, and Wallace be appointed as members of the Task and Finish Group and joined by Councillor Porter as the relevant Cabinet Member.

3.    That the Leader of the Council be requested to lobby local Members of Parliament on the need to strengthen national planning enforcement legislation.