To receive the above report from the Chairman of the Task and Finish Group, Cllr Richard Kellaway.

Councillor Kellaway introduced the above titled report. The Panel were informed that the planning and housing- task and finish group had looked at a number of areas within the planning service and discussed the parts of the Constitution relating to planning.

As part of this work, Members had looked at changes and improvement areas within the Constitution which could potentially be implemented if approval was acquired from full Council.

As a result of the task and finish group findings there were ten main recommendations had been made as follows:

·         Combine the Windsor Area Panels with effect from May 2019

·         Increase number of Members on area Panels to 11 with effect from May 2019

·         No substitution of members to be permitted less than 24 hours before a Development Management Panel meeting

·         Move all Development management panels onto a monthly cycle from May 2019

·         Members are keen to ensure member oversight through the lead member and panel chairs on which items are elevated to the Borough Wide Panel. ( revised wording available within the report)

·         That the Borough Wide Panel should have 13 members. 6 members should ideally be from each of the two proposed planning areas of the borough and that these changes should take effect from May 2019.

·         That the planning enforcement items should be reported to the chair of the relevant panel who can opt to call them before the relevant panel.

·         That the Rights of Way and Highways Licensing Panel is not combined with any development management panel. (Full Council has since decided not to merge the panel into planning panels).

·         Rights to speak- (this matter has already been actioned through full council approval).

·         That Area Panels should continue to meet in respective areas unless this cannot be accommodated for a specific reason, i.e. availability of venue of the right capacity. The council should consider improved technology options for meetings.

The Panel were informed that the proposed changes would be recommended to take place in two stages, immediate interim arrangements and a permanent set of arrangements for after the elections in May 2019. It was intended that the more major changes such as the reduction in numbers of development management panels would occur in May 2019.

Councillor Beer stated that there had been a restricted number of substitute members available and that it could prove difficult to find suitable knowledgeable members at late notice in the future. Cllr Beer favoured a longer window for not permitting substitutes so that replacements had time to read the relevant papers.

Members also commended retaining panel meetings in the area that applications related to and felt that this would be beneficial to residents in each locality and that it suited their needs better. Some Members felt that there could be a trial period of the recommendations, and it was noted that there was some work to be done in order for the recommendations to be in force before implementation.

Councillor Beer highlighted that currently there was a published list of applications and that this was only available in the Maidenhead Advertiser and that there were no subsequent publications in any Ascot and the Sunningdales audience orientated papers. Councillor Kellaway noted that this would be a good issue to investigate further at a future task and finish group.

A paper had been produced for full Council (Subject to O&S comments) that would be considered on 25^th of September with the proposed constitutional planning amendments. At the conclusion of the report, Members commended the planning team for their support to members of the Task and Finish group and for their contribution to the recommendations.