Planning committee axed in shake-up

One of the county council’s three planning committees has been axed – despite concerns from a number of councillors.

Shropshire Council has voted to reduce the number of planning committees it has from three to two in bid to improve efficiency and because too few councillors are coming forward to justify three committees.

The move was passed by full council at a meeting on Thursday, but many voiced fears that local knowledge would be disappearing from hearings.

And Councillor Roger Evans, leader of the Lib Dem group on the council, said: “What is the point in having elected representatives if officers are left to take all of the decisions?

“I am worried about democracy and I am sad that this has become the case.”

Cllr Alan Mosley said he could not understand why the idea of reducing planning committees kept coming up.

“Whose hidden agenda is this?” he said.

“This keeps coming up every other year and I can’t understand why that is the case.”

Councillor Tony Parsons added: “We talk about local democracy; well, I think we need to have local members who are clued-up on what is going on and know the area and can have input on these decisions.”

And Councillor Nigel Hartin added: “It is important to have a degree of localism.

“There seems to be no reason why we should reduce the number of committees.

“There doesn’t seem to be an option in the paper to carry on as we are.”

The move will see the formation of a new North Planning Committee and South Planning Committee.

He said applications for Shrewsbury will mainly move to the North Committee, with a cut-off point being the Dobbies roundabout on the A5.

Mark Barrow, Shropshire Council’s director of place, said: “While a planning committee will always be the environment where the most controversial and complicated applications are considered, the context has changed since the existing committee structure was established in 2009.

“Delegation is more effectively and consistently managed by both officers and members and now average agendas are low – with just over four cases per committee when a committee meets.

“In the last year meetings for all three planning committees have been cancelled when there has not been enough business to hold one.

“The number of planning committees has been subject to scrutiny from three member–led task and finish groups in previous years.

“While members have accepted recommendations to improve the planning committee process they have to date resisted proposals to reduce the number of planning committees.”

The proposal was narrowly passed.