Scheme of Delegation – Planning Applications

The Councils Scheme of Delegation authorises the Clerk to the Council/Responsible Finance Officer and Standing Committees to act with delegated authority in the specific circumstances detailed.

Delegated Powers re Planning

1. Planning applications shall be received by the Clerk who will provide details to Councillors. (For example sending an email poll with a link to the B&NES planning application to councillors via mailchimp)
2. Councillors will be given a time limit to respond. If no response has been received from a councillor within a requested time limit this absence of response will not be considered for assessing a joint decision.
3. When the Clerk considers that there is a consensus in the responses received from council members, and that at least three members have responded, the Clerk shall be delegated to inform the Planning Department within the time allocated of the response of the Council.
4. All Councillors will report directly back to the Clerk thereby avoiding discussion between members.
5. If any one councillor responds with a request to defer the decision to a council meeting, the Clerk will no longer proceed with submitting a consultation response under the scheme of delegation.
6. If multiple responses are received from any one councillor, only the most recent response will be considered.
7. In the event that a planning consultation request is received but can not be legally resolved at a meeting due to not being published as an item of business on an agenda, the council may direct the Clerk to submit a delegated response to the consultation request with a member poll during a full council meeting. The Clerk is authorised to use this poll from council members at a council meeting, to submit a delegated response.
8. Where queries arise the Chairman may call an extraordinary meeting to decide upon the application, adhering strictly to legal procedures. If a consultation request is subsequently resolved at a legally convened meeting, the Clerk will no longer proceed with a delegated response.