Issue - meetings

To receive a report of the Head of Planning, Economy and Regeneration seeking formal approval to accept an offer from Government to increase planning fees by 20% from July 2017, or as soon as legislation permits.

The Cabinet had before it a * report of the Head of Planning Economy and Regeneration seeking formal approval to accept an offer from Government to increase planning fees by 20% from July 2017, or as soon as legislation permits. This offer was only on the basis that the Council committed to invest the additional income entirely on planning functions.

The Cabinet Member for Planning and Economic Regeneration outlined the contents of the report stating that fees associated with the submission and processing of planning and other related applications were set nationally by the Government under fee regulations, to date it had not been within the ability of Councils to set such fees locally in order to better reflect the actual cost of determining the applications.

Consideration was given to the need for any additional income to be reinvested within the planning service.

RESOLVED that the Government’s offer to increase planning fees by 20% from July 2017 or as soon as legislation permits be approved, with a commitment that this additional fee income is invested in its entirety in the planning service.

(Proposed by Cllr R J Chesterton and seconded by Cllr P H D Hare-Scott)

Note:  * Report previously copy attached to minutes.