Agenda item

To receive a joint Report of City Solicitor, Assistant Chief Executive (Citizens and Communities) and Chief Planning Officer. This is the annual report to the committee concerning the Council’s decision making arrangements.  This report provides one of the sources of assurance which the Committee is able to take into account when considering the approval of the Annual Governance Statement. Members are asked to consider the results of monitoring documented within the body of this report and to note the assurances given by the Head of Governance Services, the Head of Licensing and Registration and the Chief Planning Officer, that the decision making framework in place within Leeds City Council is up to date, fit for purpose, effectively communicated and routinely complied with.

The Principal Corporate Governance Officer presented a report of the City Solicitor, Assistant Chief Executive (Citizens and Communities) and Chief Planning Officer. This was the annual report to the committee concerning the Council’s decision making arrangements.

The report provided one of the sources of assurance which the Committee will be able to take into account when considering the approval of the Annual Governance Statement.

Members were asked to consider the results of monitoring documented within the body of this report and to note the assurances given by the Head of Governance Services, the Head of Licensing and Registration and the Chief Planning Officer, that the decision making framework in place within Leeds City Council is up to date, fit for purpose, effectively communicated and routinely complied with.

Also in attendance to answer Members’ questions were the Head of Planning Services and the Head of Licensing and Registration.

In discussing the report it was confirmed to members that there was no requirement for officers declarations to be made publicly available. Members requested that this be looked into due to the large numbers of delegated powers given to officers.

RESOLVED – The Committee resolved to:

(a)  note the positive assurances provided in this report in relation to executive decision making, licensing, planning and the regulation of investigatory powers. Particularly: In relation to executive decision making:-

·  The monitoring which has taken place in relation to publication of agendas and minutes of committee meetings and the publication and call in of Key Decisions;

·  the assurances given in relation to the use of special urgency provisions, and

·  that there have been no Key Decisions which have not been treated as such; and the steps taken to continue to embed the decision making framework

(b)  In relation to Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA):- note the monitoring and reduction in use of RIPA powers.

(c)  In relation to licensing to note:-

·  The monitoring of decisions in relation to entertainment and miscellaneous licensing and the introduction of responsibility under the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013;

·  The monitoring of taxi and private hire licensing;

·  The ongoing review of licensing policy; and

·  The introduction of three yearly DBS disclosures for licence holders.

(d)  In relation to planning to note:-

·  The sub-delegation of planning decisions;

·  The assurance from internal audit in relation to the robustness of system in place to determine planning applications;

·  The ongoing work in relation to declaration of officer interests;

·  The review of the work of plans panels and the protocol in place to guide their Members;

· The Monitoring of planning workloads and performance in relation to statutory timescales including the use of agreed extensions of time;

·  The Monitoring of decisions against officer recommendation, appeals and complaints;

·  The steps taken to continue to embed the framework for planning matters; and

·  The ongoing work to build and develop relationships with partners and customers

(e)  request that a report be written exploring the possibility of officers with delegated powers making declarations publicly available;

(f)  request that the cost of running the planning service and the fees received for planning applications be circulated to members of the committee