Planning peer challenge 2024

The peer challenge team

3.1 Peer challenges, sometimes referred to as peer reviews, are delivered by experienced elected councillors and officer peers. The make-up of the peer team reflected the focus of the peer review and peers were selected based on their relevant expertise. The peers were:

• Cllr David Baines, Leader of the Council at St Helens Council
• Paul Thomas, Director for Planning and Placemaking at Milton Keynes City Council
• Rob Krzyszowski, Assistant Director, Planning, Building Standards and Sustainability at Haringey Council
• Judith Hurcombe, Peer Challenge Manager, Local Government Association

The Planning Advisory Service (PAS)

3.2 PAS is an LGA programme funded primarily by a grant from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC). It is our principal mission to ensure that local planning authorities (LPAs) are continuously improving in their execution and delivery of planning services.

3.3 To achieve this, the PAS work programme focuses on:

• helping local government officers and councillors to stay effective and up to date by guiding them on the implementation of the latest reforms to planning
• promoting a 'sector-led' improvement programme that encourages and facilitates local authorities to help each other through peer support and the sharing of best practice
• providing consultancy and peer support, designing and delivering training and learning events, and publishing a range of resources online
• facilitating organisational change, improvement and capacity building programmes - promoting, sharing and helping implement the very latest and best ways of delivering the planning service

3.4 PAS also delivers some of its services on a commercial basis including change and improvement programmes for individual and groups of planning authorities.

Scope of the peer challenge

3.5 The aims of this peer challenge were developed following initial conversations and correspondence with Gateshead Council as well as consideration of background documents. They are to:

• maximise the service's role in delivering the Corporate Plan
• operate as efficiently and effectively as possible
• find out how the service interacts
  • with regeneration/major projects
  • with Legal Services
  • with Planning and Development Committee
• make fit for the future changes in the system
• identify areas of improvement that may lead to cost savings or efficiencies

3.6 These aims and the issues they raise were examined by the Peer Team across five key themes, which are common to all peer reviews and form the structure for this feedback report. They are:

• vision and leadership - how Gateshead Council and the planning service demonstrate leadership to integrate planning within corporate working to support delivery of corporate objectives
• performance and management - the effective use of skills and resources to achieve value for money, and the effectiveness of processes (and the roles of officers and members) in decision-making on development proposals
• community engagement - how the planning service understands its community leadership role and community aspirations and uses planning to help deliver them
• partnership engagement - how the planning service works with partners to balance priorities and resources to deliver agreed priorities
• achieving outcomes - how well the service leverages national and local planning policy to deliver the sustainable development and planning outcomes its community requires

The peer challenge process

3.7 Peer challenges are improvement focused and it is important to stress that the review of Gateshead Council's planning service was not an inspection. The process is not designed to provide an in-depth or technical assessment of all plans and proposals or to undertake a forensic analysis of every aspect of service. The peer team used their experience and knowledge of local government to reflect on the information presented to them by Gateshead as well as by people they met and the things they saw, reviewing this through a strategic lens to focus on the most important issues for the planning service.

3.8 The peer team prepared by reviewing a range of documents and information to ensure they were familiar with the planning service and the challenges it is facing. The team then carried out the core of the review onsite over 3 days in March 2024. As well as in-person meetings, some meetings were held virtually during the onsite review to reach as many people as possible. In total, the team gathered information and views from over 110 people. All the information collected is on a non-attributable basis to inform this report.

3.9 The team observed the Planning Committee meeting held on Wednesday 20th March 2024. A walking tour of some key sites was undertaken.

3.10 In presenting this feedback report, the peer team have done so as fellow local government members and officers. By its nature, the review represents a snapshot in time and the peer team appreciate that some of the points in this report may touch on things that Gateshead is already addressing or progressing. However, the team are keen to provide a comprehensive report and full understanding of their conclusions. As part of the work, the peer team presented a verbal summary of this report and evolving recommendations to an audience made up of those that took part in / were interviewed as part of the review.

3.11 Many people were involved in interviews and focus groups to discuss the council's approach to its Planning Service, including external partners and a group of Gateshead residents. A wide range of individuals were involved in supporting the peer team before and during the onsite phase. The team would like to offer thanks to everyone involved and the contributions they made to the peer challenge.