Agenda item - Public Questions

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Agenda item

Public Questions

Written Questions: to receive any questions submitted by the due date of 12 noon on 30 May 2018.

Minutes:

4.1         It was noted that one Public question had been received from Ms V Paynter. Ms Paynter was invited forward to as her question, which is set out below:

 

“In 2012 supply of hard copies of planning applications, which were available on demand at both Brighton & Hove Town Halls was withdrawn. People were expected to view plans online or not at all unless they knew they could ask to see the case officer's file. In view of the complexity of the revised planning register could we have hard copy access at Customer Services reinstated as contacting officers to see their files is not fair on them & hard to get from them as well.”

 

4.2         The Chair Councillor Cattell, responded that:

 

              Planning applications are now held electronically by the council and hard copies are no longer available either for customers or planning officers. All application details, including plans, are available to view on the planning register on the council's website. This is a similar situation to many other local authorities and was introduced as part of the council's modernisation improvements and in line with the government's drive to digitise local authority services.

 

The revised planning register has introduced a number of additional features to assist the council's customers in finding information on planning applications, such as the ability to locate applications on a map and by distance from a particular location. These additional search facilities provide the user with a greater range of options to identify planning applications and have not been introduced to make the register more complex. A user guide is available on the front page of the register which provides clear instructions on how the use these various features.

 

Given the accessibility of the information held on the planning register, the reintroduction of the supply of hard copies at the Customer Service Centre would not be warranted given the very low demand for such provision and the resulting increase in costs of staff time, supply of paper and printing.

 

If a customer is unable to access the planning register due to their personal circumstances, officers are available at the Customer Service Centre at Hove Town Hall to provide help and assistance.”

 

4.3         Ms Paynter was informed that she was permitted to ask one supplementary question. Ms Paynter referred to the arrangements in place for consultation of neighbouring residents of application sites stating that she was aware of instances where this had not occurred. The Chair, Councillor Cattell, stated that she was aware that arrangements relating to those who were consulted were prescribed by legislation. The Planning Manager Applications, Nicola Hurley, explained that it was no longer possible to show who had been consulted on an application. Ms Paynter stated that she had concerns that some comments received had not been shown. The Planning Applications Manager, Applications, Nicola Hurley, responded that if Ms Paynter provided details of specific instances where she considered this had occurred Officers would investigate further and respond to her directly.

 

4.5         RESOLVED – That the questions asked and the Chair’s responses to them be noted and received.

 


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