Issue - meetings

To Councillor Goodrick, Chair of the Planning Committee, from Councillor Potter

To Councillor Goodrick, Chair of the Planning Committee, from Councillor Potter:

Councillor Potter submitted the following question:

“Do you agree with the points made in a letter from the cabinet member for planning and leader of Cheshire East Council to the Secretary of State for Housing, Robert Jenrick, after he allowed a planning appeal, despite a clear conflict with local development plan policies and sufficient 5 year land supply.  The letter claims this decision ‘undermines the principles of effective plan making’ and will ‘likely lead to a further scramble for developers to seek permission for other unplanned sites’.”

Councillor Goodrick, Chair of the Planning Committee, replied:

“Councillor Potter, thank you for your question. As you are aware – this is what you've already been advised by Officers – that this question relates to planning policy, and as such it would be best and most appropriate for this question to be directed to the Chairman of the Policy and Resources Committee.”

Councillor Potter then asked a supplementary question:

“This item, I believe, relates to actual decisions under planning policies, not of planning policy itself, because this was a decision made on a planning application and was overruled by the Secretary of State for Housing. So it's not actually about planning policy as such, this is absolutely about a planning decision. So, I would expect an answer from the Chair of Planning, as the Chair of Policy and Resources is actually only responsible for strategic planning in the powers that he took unto himself.”

Councillor Potter confirmed that he wished to repeat the same question and requested a response from the Chair of Planning.

Councillor Goodrick, Chair of the Planning Committee, replied:

“I think I was fairly forthright in what I said. It’s quite clear. The group decided that this is how it's best to be handled and that is where I leave it.”