Issue - meetings

To consider and endorse, or make recommendations to the Cabinet Member for Planning, Highways, Transport and Waste on the decision to; publish revised fees and charges for discretionary planning and environmental advice, Development Consent Order (DCO) activity, and delegate authority to the Director of Environment, Planning and Enforcement to review and publish revised fees and charges.

Sharon Thompson (Head of Planning Applications Group) was in attendance for this item.

1.    Sharon Thompson (Head of Planning Applications Group) introduced the report that looked at the proposed fees and charges for discretionary planning and environmental advice to developers and for those promoting national significant infrastructure projects via the Development Consent Order (DCO) process. The report also set out a number of key principles that were applied to establish the revised fees and charges.

2.    In response to questions the officer provided further information.

3.    Ms Thompson said that the hourly day rates set out on page 286 of the agenda pack reflected the level of experience and expertise of the advisors who would undertake the work. The work was traditionally carried out by the Councils Technical Support Team and not by the professional officers.

4.    In regards to cost, Ms Thompson assured Members that that due to the way in which the legislation was drafted, it was not possible to make a profit. Therefore the breakdown of costs shown in table 1 of the report on page 285 of the agenda pack was a true reflection of what it would have cost Kent County Council to deliver those services.

5.    RESOLVED that the proposed decision to the Cabinet Member for Planning, Highways, Transport and Waste to:

                      i.        publish revised fees and charges for discretionary planning and environmental advice and the DCO activity; and

                    ii.        delegate authority to the Director of Environment, Planning and Enforcement to review and publish revised fees and charges subject to the application of a number of key principles as set out in paragraph 3.4

be endorsed.