Agenda item

The Committee considered a report which detailed all Planning Enforcement performance in the fourth Quarter of 2021/22.

During consideration of the report, the Vice-Chair, Councillor Duncan Anderson, sought clarification with regard to process by which Councillors were routinely informed of the status and progress of an Enforcement Enquiry they had reported relating to an alleged breach of planning control.  In response, the Team Manager for the Planning Enforcement Team, Scott Forbes, stated that his Officers within the Planning Enforcement Team endeavoured to ensure that Councillors were updated on the progress of their Enforcement Enquiry.  He outlined that initially, the Councillor would receive an email from the Investigating Officer explaining that the investigation had commenced and that further emails would be sent with important updates.  However, he stressed that if a Councillor had not received a recent update, they should email the Investigating Officer and, if the Councillor did not receive an update within a week, the Councillor should forward a copy of the ‘Request an Update’ email to himself as the Team Manager, who would discuss the matter with the Officer and ensure that a response was provided.

In response to Committee Members seeking further clarification of the Enforcement Enquiry reporting procedure, Scott Forbes reported that the member of the public should report the enquiry directly to the TSI/Planning Enforcement Team using the online planning enforcement complaint portal on the Council’s planning web-site (i.e. www.doncaster.gov.uk/doitonline/planning-enforcement-complaint).  This method would ensure that the individual would be contacted directly by the Officer dealing with the case, which would also provide a direct method of providing information and allow updates to be requested.  In addition, if the member of the public did not wish to provide their details, or did not have access to the internet, they could request that their Local Ward Councillor report the enquiry on their behalf, either using the preferred corporate ‘Councillor on-line reporting system’ or again using the online planning enforcement complaint portal on the Council’s planning web-site.

Members were reminded that once a complaint was registered under the Councillors’ name, not the member of the public, they would become the single point of contact for the specific investigation and receive emails on the progress of the enquiry.  This would then require the Councillor to keep the member of the public updated, as required.

In concluding discussion on the debate, the Chair, Councillor Susan Durant, proposed that an informal meeting be arranged for Members of the Planning Committee and Cabinet Members, involving Officers from the Planning, Planning Enforcement, Conservation, Tree and Highways Teams, to consider in further detail, the Enforcement Enquiry procedures relating to alleged breaches of planning control, why certain items required enforcement action in conservation areas (i.e. boundary walls/driveway access that would reduce the need for vehicles being parked outside on the road) and general outstanding cases including matters relating to the Tree & Highways Teams.

In response to Councillor Iris Beech seeking clarification with regard to the current status and progress of a case relating to several advertisement boards being displayed by the owner of a premises on Selby Road, Askern, the Team Manager for the Planning Enforcement Team, Scott Forbes, reported that the issue had been brought to the Enforcement Team’s attention approximately one week ago by Councillor Austen White.  Subsequently, a site investigation was undertaken which established that, as there were relevant breaches of planning control, enforcement action was being proposed if the owner failed to seek planning permission or did not remove the signs.

RESOLVED that

(1)      the report on Planning Enforcement performance in the fourth Quarter of 2021/22, be noted; and

(2)      an informal meeting be arranged for Members of the Planning Committee and Cabinet Members involving Officers from the Planning, Planning Enforcement, Conservation, Tree and Highways Teams, to consider in further detail, the Enforcement Enquiry procedure relating to an alleged breaches of planning control and other relevant matters.