Governance & Policies
Planning Committee
The Parish Council is not a Planning Authority and therefore does not determine planning applications. However the Parish Council is formally consulted by Welwyn Hatfield Council on all planning applications within the Parish.
The decision has been taken that, for the immediate future, the Planning Committee will function as a Working Party, with delegated authority given to the Clerk, to allow these meetings to continue to be held online.
While the meetings continue in this format, no minutes will be posted.
Terms of Reference
Northaw & Cuffley Parish Council is currently an advisory body to the Local Planning Authority (Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council) for all planning applications that relate to the Parish area.
The Planning Committee is constituted to consider and to respond on behalf of the Council in respect of such applications.
Membership
Membership shall consist of a maximum of seven Council members elected annually along with the Chairman of the Parish Council in an ex-officio capacity.
The Chairman shall be elected by the membership. At the first meeting of the Planning Committee for 20/21 Councillor Stubbs was duly elected to serve as Chairman.
A quorum shall consist of three members.
Responsibility
The Planning Committee has the delegated authority from Northaw & Cuffley Parish Council:
- To make representations to the Local Planning Authority on applications for planning permission which have been notified to the Council;
- To make representations in respect of appeals against the refusal of planning permission;
- To identify and make representations to the relevant authorities in respect of enforcement action or any matters considered to be breaches of planning regulations;
- To monitor, review and where necessary make recommendations to the Council for amendments to the planning consultation procedure;
- To deal with any other planning related matter that a meeting of the Full Council considers appropriate to be referred to the Planning Committee; and
Planning Applications
Planning applications shall be circulated to Planning Committee members within three working days of the Parish Council Planning Meeting by the Parish Clerk. The applications may be viewed on the Planning Portal at Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council.
Meetings
The calendar of meetings shall be confirmed at the first meeting after the Annual Meeting of the Northaw & Cuffley Parish Council.
The Parish Clerk or the Chairman of the Planning Committee may call additional Planning Committee meetings as and when necessary to ensure that all Planning Applications received can be discussed and replied to within the timescale.
The Planning Committee has an obligation to ensure that any comments received, prior to the meeting, from any relevant parties, applicants and objectors, for planning applications (not including enforcement notices) are considered at the meeting.
Minutes of all meetings will be recorded by the Parish Clerk and circulated at the Full Council meetings.
Submitted Responses
The Parish Clerk will communicate to the Local Planning Authority the Committee’s decision in respect of applications considered.
Where an application is subject to an appeal, the Committee is authorised to make written representation or to elect a member of the Committee to attend the hearing.
Wherever possible, a member of the Planning Committee is to be nominated to attend Planning Authority’s meeting, as necessary.
All correspondence should be conducted through the Parish Clerk.
Review
Terms of reference are to be reviewed annually.