Concerns over how Northumberland planning decisions will be considered as meetings return to 'new normal'

Local councillors will again be involved in planning decisions in their area of Northumberland following months of cancelled meetings due to Covid-19.
County Hall in Morpeth County Hall in Morpeth
County Hall in Morpeth

The five local area councils (LACs) – covering the North, Castle Morpeth, Tynedale, Ashington and Blyth, and Cramlington, Bedlington and Seaton Valley – have not met since the first half of March 2020.

One of their main responsibilities was planning, but in early May 2020, Northumberland County Council’s chief executive Daljit Lally suspended the powers of the five LACs to deal with applications for six months, with those requiring a decision by councillors going to the strategic planning committee.

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This sparked some concerns about a potential loss of local accountability, but a spokeswoman for the local authority said that this was so ‘the resource and expertise necessary to hold such meetings can be concentrated on one committee as opposed to five, at a time when the organisation and running of virtual meetings is still very much in its infancy’.

At the Wednesday, September 2, full council meeting, however, members agreed that the powers to determine applications should be ‘reinstated with immediate effect’ to the local committees of councillors.

However, it won’t be a complete return to business as normal, not least because all council meetings continue to be held virtually.

The public speaking slots have been replaced at the strategic planning committee with written statements that are read out and this will apply to the LACs – at least at first.

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Cllr Susan Dungworth, the Labour group leader, said: “I don’t understand why we can’t have the public presenting cases virtually, be it in planning or petitions committee. It’s secure and we have seen from today how we can do it securely.

“It might be that some people choose not to do it in person virtually, because of issues over using the internet, and that’s fine, a statement can be read out, but I think we should be offering people the opportunity to join us virtually.”

She was told that this is being looked at, with the chairman, Cllr Richard Dodd, saying the public being able to take part is ‘something that is missing’.

The experience of virtual planning meetings so far has led to the decision that no more than three applications should be dealt with on each agenda ‘due to the slower process of dealing with applications at virtual meetings and the concentration required’.

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Therefore, it was also agreed to retain the increased powers for the chief planning officer to decide applications as set out in the chief executive’s original decision. This is in consultation with the chairmen and vice-chairmen of the planning committees.

Finally, it was agreed that authority is delegated to the chief executive to make any changes to the planning function they consider necessary if circumstances change, for example, a second wave of the pandemic or increased lockdown measures.

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