Planning Services

Question

Please can you address the following questions, if you hold information on them:

1. Has the council outsourced its planning department (responsible for town and country planning)?  If so, who is responsible for providing these services?
2. Has the council outsourced any part of its planning services (planning policy, development management, planning enforcement)? If so, who is responsible for providing these services?
3. Please provide details of any company providing statutory planning services or service support for planning to the council. If such provision exists, how long has the company provided services to the council, how long does the contract last for and what is the value of the contract?
4. Are planning officers responsible for delivering the council’s town and country planning responsibilities employed directly by the council? If not, who are they employed by?
5. Is routine use of private sector consultants made to process planning applications on behalf of the council? If so, which company/companies are used for this and how much was paid for such consultancy in the 2017-18 financial year?
6. Is routine use of private sector consultants made to develop planning policy on behalf of the council? If so, which company/companies are used for this and how much was paid for such consultancy in the 2017-18 financial year?
7. Is routine use of private sector consultants made to conduct planning enforcement work on behalf of the council? If so, which company/companies are used for this and how much was paid for such consultancy in the 2017-18 financial year?

Answer

1.       Has the council outsourced its planning department (responsible for town and country planning)?  NO If so, who is responsible for providing these services? N/A

2.       Has the council outsourced any part of its planning services (planning policy, development management, planning enforcement)? NO  If so, who is responsible for providing these services? N/A

3.       Please provide details of any company providing statutory planning services or service support for planning to the council. If such provision exists, how long has the company provided services to the council, how long does the contract last for and what is the value of the contract? N/A

4.       Are planning officers responsible for delivering the council’s town and country planning responsibilities employed directly by the council? YES  If not, who are they employed by? N/A

5.       Is routine use of private sector consultants made to process planning applications on behalf of the council? NO  If so, which company/companies are used for this and how much was paid for such consultancy in the 2017-18 financial year? N/A

6.       Is routine use of private sector consultants made to develop planning policy on behalf of the council?  NO If so, which company/companies are used for this and how much was paid for such consultancy in the 2017-18 financial year? N/A

7.       Is routine use of private sector consultants made to conduct planning enforcement work on behalf of the council?  NO If so, which company/companies are used for this and how much was paid for such consultancy in the 2017-18 financial year? N/A