Agenda item

To consider the joint Officers’ report.

The joint Officers’ report was submitted for consideration.

The Executive Member – Regeneration & Economic Development spoke briefly to the report and explained that the development of a Strategic Development Plan for the Cardiff Capital Region area was a key project.  In order to progress the preparation of the Plan regionally it was proposed that a Strategic Planning Panel be established which would consist of at least one member from each authority.  Blaenau Gwent had been allocated one Member on the panel and one vote as per the weighted voting allocation.

It was noted that the establishment of a Panel would not detract from the remit of the Planning Committees in each borough.

The cost of setting up and running the Panel for the first 5 years was £3m pro rata across each authority and this for Blaenau Gwent would be £136,590 staggered over 5 years would equate to £25,318 per annum.

The Executive Member expressed his appreciation to the Team Manager – Building Control and Development Plans and her team for the tremendous amount of work undertaken on the Local Development Plan.   It was proposed that Councillor Mandy Moore in her capacity as Vice-Chair of Planning Committee be appointed as the Blaenau Gwent representative on the Strategic Planning Panel. 

The Leader of the Labour Group said that he keen to promote and was supportive of this concept.  He continued by referring to the appointment to the Strategic Planning Panel and said this representative would be given delegated responsibility to make decisions on behalf of the Council and said he felt that an Executive Member should have been appointed to this role.  He concluded by seeking the rationale for the appointment and clarity in terms of the remuneration level.

The Executive Member – Regeneration & Economic Development clarified that the Leader determined the appointments made to the Panel and that the Member had been nominated in her capacity as Vice-Chair of Planning Committee as the SDP was the remit of this portfolio. Whilst he was unable to clarify the appointments to the Panel made by other local authorities in terms of remuneration there would be no direct responsibility payments – only travel expenses would be reimbursed.

The Leader of the Council reported that it had taken some time and had been an arduous process to reach this position and there had been many discussions along the way and commended the tremendous amount of work undertaken by officers.

He confirmed that the appointment arrangements were not out of keeping with what the other authorities were suggesting and quite rightly there was a strong move for gender balance on committee and he was personally pleased that this request could be supported.  There was also a strong argument to broaden individual experience and succession planning.   He confirmed that the report remained silent on anything but travelling expenses.

Upon a vote being taken it was unanimously,

RESOLVED, subject to the foregoing, that the report be accepted and Option 1 be endorsed, namely that a Strategic Development Plan be prepared for the Cardiff Capital Region and it be agreed that:-

-      The Vale of Glamorgan as the Responsible Authority for the purposes of preparing the Strategic Development Plan for Cardiff Capital Region.

-      The Responsible Authority be authorised to submit the Proposal for SDP for the Cardiff Capital Region to the Minister on behalf of the 10 Local Planning Authorities in the region.

-      The strategic planning area as being comprised of the 10 local planning authority areas within the Cardiff Capital Region as shown on the map attached at appendix A to the report.

-      The relevant officers engage with the Welsh Government in drafting the Strategic Development Plan Regulations to deliver the governance arrangements for the SDP and Strategic Planning Panel (SPP) as outlined in the report.

-      The setting up of an Interim SPP be agreed prior to the formal establishment of the SPP.  The nominated Member for this Council was Councillor Mandy Moore (Vice-Chair of Planning Committee) on the Interim Strategic Panel.  The Councillor had delegated authority to take initial decision on the preparation of the SDP (with a vote weighted in accordance with the table at Recommendation 4(i)) and thereafter on the Strategic Planning Panel.

-      In the event that Member was no longer to sit on the Interim Strategic Planning Panel, delegated authority be granted to the Leader of the council to nominated a new Member to represent to Council on the Interim Strategic Planning Panel and Strategic Planning Panel.

-      That a Regional SDP officer team be established to progress the preparation of the SDP to be appointed by representatives of the Interim Strategic Planning Panel, with appropriate human resource support from the Responsible Authority.