Planning and Infrastructure Bill
New clause briefing: Online availability of planning committees
RTPI proposal – a new clause so meetings of local planning authority meetings must be available online: The RTPI proposes the Bill include the mandatory online availability of local planning authority committee meetings, to improve public engagement through increased accessibility, encouraging a diverse range of voices and experiences to engage with the planning process, and increasing accountability and transparency through providing an accurate record of decision-making.
Rationale
Usher in a new era of community engagement.
- During the pandemic, the RTPI noted that remote council meetings increased opportunities for planning committees to hear from a more diverse group of participants and views because they were more accessible to a wider audience.
- Ensuring public access to decision-making in our planning system, as well as having a recorded log of these decisions will increase engagement, improve transparency and ensure accurate information is retained if needed for judicial review. This accords with the objectives of the Bill.
- This is particularly relevant if under a new proposed national scheme of delegation, a smaller number of more significant planning applications are to go to planning committees, the RTPI wants to see tangible and meaningful steps to better engage the public on those applications which will have a large impact on their area.
- Recent work by the Planning Advisory Service (PAS) showed that 15% of local councils do not webcast or record Planning Committee meetings.
- With many councils recognising and noting the range of benefits of providing online availability of meetings, it calls into question why a minority of local councils do not offer the same provisions for engagement to their communities and constituents.
- The RTPI believes through this new clause will enable all communities to have equal access in engaging with their planning system.
Empowering diverse community engagement in planning.
- We need a planning system and built environment that is responsive to the needs of the whole community it is serving, to secure that there is a need to better diversify the range of voices and experiences that contribute to the system.
- RTPI research shows that digital transformation can help a younger, more diverse audience engage with planning. Nearly half of those surveyed told us that having the ability to respond digitally would make them more likely to get involved in the system.
- This has been supported by a number of local authorities, including the Greater London Authority and the Local Government Association.
- The provision of online format option would particularly support better engagement for those who live in rural areas and may have a long travel time or may be disadvantaged by poor public transport. It also better accommodates the needs of those with work and/or caring responsibilities and/or people with personal or protected characteristics who may find online attendance or viewing more accessible.
- A clause in the Bill specifying that this must be a mandatory provision across all local planning authorities would ensure that all constituents across the country will have equal access in the ways in which they can engage with and understand the decisions of their Local Planning Committee.
Make transparency and accountability the foundation of the planning system
- Provision for online availability of Planning Committee meetings will ensure that there is a visual and oral public record of the meeting that can be used if needed for:
- future consideration, such as in the event of judicial review.
- local residents or councillors to catch-up on meetings flexibly in their own time.
- planners not directly involved in the committee meeting to observe issues raised and how they are responded to, enabling them to understand issues that are important to Committee members.
- With a video record, accurate reporting of discussions and decisions at Planning Committees will no longer rely on detailed minute-taking by corporate support staff who may not have training on planning processes. Instead, minutes only need to be taken of actions arising out of meetings and underpinned by visual and oral record of the discussions taking place in the meeting.
- The online access and recording of Planning Committees adds transparency to the way the service is being delivered for the public and ensures there is a 100% accurate record of the process for future use if needed.
Suggested wording for new clause:
New Clause: Meetings of local planning authorities to be available online
To move the following Clause —
“Meetings of local planning authorities to be available for participation online
(1) This section applies to any meeting of a local authority held to discharge the authority’s planning functions, including a committee or a sub-committee of the authority held under section 101(1)(a) of the Local Government Act 1972 (a “planning meeting”).
(2) A local authority must make arrangements for the proceedings of a planning meeting to be available over the internet both in real time and for five years after the meeting, and those arrangements must include the ability for members of the public observing a planning meeting over the internet in real time to address the meeting where permitted by the person chairing the meeting.
(3) Subsection (2) applies despite any prohibition or other restriction contained in the standing orders or any other rules of the authority governing a planning meeting and any such prohibition or restriction has no effect.
(4) A local authority may make standing orders and any other rules governing participation by a member of the public in a planning meeting over the internet, which may include provision for access to documents.” ”
Member’s explanatory statement
This new clause would require local planning authorities to make their meetings available for observation and participation online.
Contact:
The Royal Town Planning Institute champions the art and science of planning, working for the long-term common good and wellbeing of current and future generations and representing over 27,000 members across both public and private sectors.
The Bill presents an opportunity to deliver positive change for your constituents, therefore the RTPI urges MPs to seize the opportunity to support and enhance this legislation by tabling our proposed amendments at Committee stage. These include:
- Mandatory online availability of local planning authority committee meetings
- Statutory Chief Planning Officers
- The inclusion of a purpose of planning in the Bill
- Provisions for a National Spatial Framework
The RTPI is happy to support MPs and their offices throughout the passage of the Bill. If you would like to discuss any of the above or arrange a briefing on planning reform, please get in touch [email protected]
We also encourage Parliamentarians and their staff to visit our Planning Reform 2025 Hub, the home of all the RTPI’s planning reform related parliamentary briefings, commentary, blogs and consultation responses.