Agenda item

In response to a request from the Committee to provide further information in relation to the use of planning conditions, the Committee received a report identifying how conditions were used, the way conditions were processed and whether or not they were becoming more onerous.

The CPO advised that these conditions were relevant to planning and were imposed to ensure the quality of design in the City of London and to safeguard residential amenity. Whilst some of these touched on matters that were regulated through other control regimes such as licensing, the imposition of the conditions could support these other controls.

The Committee noted that some matters were not appropriate for control under planning conditions and in these circumstances it was necessary in addition to enter a S106 planning obligation to secure those matters as local procurement and affordable housing. Where a developer was unwilling or unable to comply with a condition it could apply to the local authority to remove that condition. If that was refused it could appeal to the Secretary of State.

The CPO advised that the conditions would be kept under review together with a review of procedures to ensure that conditions were discharged in a timely manner. Improvements were likely to include surgery sessions with relevant consultees to expedite the signing off of conditions.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.