BULWICK PARISH COUNCIL POLICY FOR DEALING WITH PLANNING APPLICATIONS

BETWEEN PARISH COUNCIL MEETINGS

The Parish Council notes that the recommended method by which a Parish Council comments on Planning Applications is by discussion at a scheduled or extraordinary Parish Council meeting, to which members of the public have been invited, by public notice. Time must have been allowed for the plans to have been circulated and considered prior to a meeting. Where time has not been available the system defaults to the circulated procedure. A meeting will always be called to comment on potentially contentious planning applications due to their scale, challenge to boundary or of interest to the village. The decision on whether an application is potentially ‘contentious’ is decided by the Chair and Vice Chair.

This policy has been agreed at a meeting of Bulwick Parish Council, held on 23rd May 2023

The responsibility for commenting on non-contentious planning applications which, due to time restrictions, cannot wait for the next Parish Council meeting, has been delegated to the Clerk, the Chair and Cllr Ian Martin in line with the following:-

1. The Clerk, the Chair and Cllr MaRtin given delegated powers by Parish Council, to comment on applications received between meetings which, due to time restrictions cannot wait for the next Parish Council meeting. Their comments must reflect the sense and weight of opinion expressed by individual councillors.

2.  Clerk notifies all Parish Councillors of application.

3. The application is circulated to all councillors for their individual comments.

4. Councillors may visit site to acquaint themselves of details. No discussion on site other than between the councillors.

5. Councillors forward comments to Clerk.

6. Clerk forwards agreed response to Planning Authority, making sure that comments are ‘material considerations’.

7. Clerk puts précis of comments in the next full council minutes.

8. For next meeting of Parish Council, Clerk produces details of all applications, permissions and

refusals received from Planning Authority. Applications commented upon by Clerk (in consultation with Councillors) also listed, with précis of comments.

Signed …I Matin (Chair)                                                     Dated 23/05/2024