Planning peer challenge 2024

The key recommendations from our work are below. Further detail on each can be found in the main body of the report. These recommendations now need to be brought forward by the council and used to develop a widely owned and agreed action plan that has corporate backing so that it can deliver the improvements that Gateshead's planning service is capable of.

1. Establish a formal structure/reporting for synergy between the council at the corporate level and the LPA to shape the new Local Plan and enhance delivery of the council's Corporate Plan.
2. Explore how the development of NECA and the opportunities it will bring will affect the council overall as well as the Planning Service through prioritisation of projects and potential coordination of resources.
3. Work with equivalent officers at neighbouring authorities to weigh up the different options available for joint working on respective Local Plan(s) and the pros and cons of these options, including sharing of resource. Make robust recommendations to the councils' respective officer and political leadership bodies on this.
4. Clearly prioritise major projects in accordance with what is achievable, the council's capacity and its political priorities.
5. The Planning Service's resources need to be matched against the council's key priorities at strategic and delivery levels. Consideration should be given to longer term budgeting, the capacity of supporting services and whether this is sufficient for current and anticipated delivery, for example, legal advice and planning enforcement.
6. Maximise the benefits of in-person interaction, as opposed to remote/hybrid working, by setting a clear standard for key meetings with developers (for example pre-application and application meetings) and staff, and ensuring key teams sit near each other and have opportunities for face-to-face interaction.
7. Review and explore the level of risk the LPA is willing to take in order to achieve strategic outcomes for the council and a more effective service (for example, is it prepared to reject poor quality applications early in the process?). There will be a balance to be achieved against other risks including to reputation and of costs of appeals.
8. Establish more regular and wider ranging 'developer forum' meetings with key developers and agents to hear feedback on the service, contribute to the Local Plan and build relationships so there is collective understanding of what the council is trying to achieve and what the market is prepared to deliver.
9. Set out how the service will meet the Corporate Plan's push for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) both:
   a) within the service and
   b) how it engages with Gateshead's communities - this could be done through an update to the Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) and using plain English and accessible language for key LPA documents and webpages.
10. Consider longer-term budgeting and whether the overall approach to climate change is sufficiently resourced, given that it is a stated council priority.
11. Review the strategy for planning enforcement and decide 1. If it is a priority for the council, 2. If it is a priority, how to resource it, and 3. Where it is best housed.