Agenda and draft minutes

Councillor Noordad Aziz was nominated and voted in by majority vote to Chair the 17^th of December 2025 Planning Committee Meeting.

Apologies for Absence were given by Councillors Dave Parkins, Bernard Dawson, Stephen Button, Mike Booth, Ethan Rawcliffe and Lorraine Cox.

Substitutions were made for the following members of the committee.

Councillor Dave Parkins was substituted by Councillor Kimberley Whitehead.

Councillor Bernard Dawson was substituted by Councillor Kate Walsh.

Councillor Stephe Button was substituted by Councillor Munsif Dad BEM JP.

Councillor Lorraine Cox was substituted by Councillor Zak Khan.

No formal declarations of interest or dispensations were declared.

However, Councillors Dad, Khan and Whitehead informed the committee that they had previously attended meetings regarding the unauthorised development, but this did not make them pre-disposed to any particular decision and were entering the meeting with an open mind.

Similarly, Councillors Aziz, Brerton and Walsh informed the committee that they had attended events at the unauthorised development in the past, but this did not make them pre-disposed to any decision and were entering the meeting with an open mind.

The Minutes of the last Planning Committee held on the 12^th of November 2025 were submitted for approval as a correct record.

Recommended – That the minutes be received and approved as a correct record.

The Minutes of the last Planning Committee held on the 12^th of November 2025 were submitted for approval as a correct record.

Resolved – That the minutes be received as a correct record.

Report to update the Planning Committee on the work of the Planning Enforcement Service.

Recommended – That the committee Note the report.

Mr Joshua Parkinson, Planning Manager (Development Manager), presented the Enforcement Update to the committee.

Mr Parkinson noted that there were 455 live cases in the system from 2015 to 2025. Since the 1^st of April 2025 there had been 154 new complaints, several complex in nature and involving a combination of technical breaches.

The Planning Enforcement Plan, beginning page 9 of the agenda, will come into effect on the 1^st of January 2026 and will replace the ‘Planning Enforcement Code of Practice’.

Mr Parkinson explained to the committee that the plan outlines the council’s approach to investigating reports of alleged unauthorized development and in which circumstance enforcement action may be taken.

Details were given to the committee regarding the 3 Enforcement Notice appeals which were upheld by the Planning Inspectorate on page 6 of the agenda and the 2 outstanding appeals.

Mr Parkinson advised that the service would review how workloads and outcomes are monitored going forward and develop new Key Performance Indicators which would be reported in future updates.

The committee discussed the report and asked for clarification from officers on the cases highlighted in the report.

Resolved – The information was noted by the Committee.

That, in accordance with Section 100A(4) Local Government Act 1972, the public were excluded from the meeting during the following item, when it was likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted, or the nature of the proceedings, that there would otherwise be disclosure of exempt information within the Paragraphs at Schedule 12A of the Act specified at the item.

Paragraph 6 - Reveals that the authority proposes (a) to give under any enactment a notice under or by virtue of which requirements are imposed on a person; or, (b) to make an order or direction under any enactment

Reports Attatched.

Mr Adam Birkett, Chief Planning and Transportation Officer, sought a decision of the committee in respect of a planning enforcement issue.

Details of the consideration of this matter are recorded in a confidential schedule to these minutes.

Resolved – To approve the resolution as set out in the confidential schedule to these minutes.