Issue - meetings

Report by the Director for Planning and Place (PN8).

The County Council is the Minerals and Waste Planning Authority for the county of Oxfordshire and has a duty to control development associated with mineral extraction and the management of waste. Officers within the Planning Regulation Service of the County Council carry out monitoring and enforcement on all permitted development sites. Officers also investigate allegations of unauthorised mineral or waste development and seek to resolve breaches of planning control caused by the County Council’s own developments.

This report updates members on the regular monitoring of minerals and waste planning permissions for the financial year 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2017 and on the progress of enforcement cases for the period 1 November 2016 to 30 June 2017.

It is RECOMMENDED that the Schedule of Compliance Monitoring Visits in Annex 1 to the report PN8 and the Schedule of Enforcement Cases in Annex 2 be noted.

Approved

The Committee asked that representations be made via the Service & Resource process for the vacant Planning Officer (Monitoring, Compliance and Enforcement) post in the Development Management team to be filled as a matter of priority.

The Committee considered (PN8) a report updating members on the regular monitoring of minerals and waste planning permissions for the financial year 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2017 and progress on enforcement cases for the period 1 November 2016 to 30 June 2017.

Having presented the report Mr Hodgkinson responded to questions from:

Councillor Phillips – At the start of the financial year the team had been 2 fte down but had since made one appointment. The remaining post was currently frozen. Mr Periam added that it was intended to resubmit a request to use income gained from planning fees to increase staffing resources.

The Committee expressed unanimous support that representations be made via the Service & Resource process for the vacant Planning Officer (Monitoring, Compliance and Enforcement) post in the Development Management team to be filled as a matter of priority.

Councillor Matelot – some sites had been restored and could be monitored after restoration had been completed for 5 years in accordance with aftercare management plans.

Councillor Anda Fitzgerald-O’Connor – Hatford Quarry did not include the Shellingford site on the other side of the A417.

Councillor Reynolds drew attention to the inordinate delays in securing compliance with the S278 agreement for the Barford Road site. He continued to receive constant representations from residents and the parish council for these matters to be resolved.

With regard to the restoration of Stratton Audley quarry Councillor Stratford asked what the position would be with regard to responsibility and accountability if no progress had been made within the 10 years from 31 December 2008. Officers undertook to speak with Councillor Stratford outside the meeting.

RESOLVED: (unanimously):

(a)          to note the Schedule of Compliance Monitoring Visits in Annex 1 to the report PN8 and the Schedule of Enforcement Cases in Annex 2 to the same report;

(b)          that representations be made via the Service & Resource process for the vacant Planning Officer (Monitoring, Compliance and Enforcement) post in the Development Management team to be filled as a matter of priority.