Transparency data

Board meeting minutes 19 March 2020 - The Planning Inspectorate

Updated 17 September 2024

Applies to England

Minutes FINAL (21 May 2020)

Title of meeting	Planning Inspectorate Board Meetings
Date	19 March 2020
Venue	Virtual meeting – all participants dialled in
Chair	Trudi Elliot (TE)

Present
Sally Dixon (SD)	Non-Executive Director (NED)
Rebecca Driver (RD)	Non-Executive Director (NED)
Stephen Tetlow (ST)	Non-Executive Director (NED)
Sarah Richards (SR)	Chief Executive
Graham Stallwood (GS)	Director of Operations
Paul McGuiness (PM)	Director of Corporate Services
Simon Gallagher (SG)	Director of Planning, MHCLG
Neil Hemington (NH)	Chief Planner, Welsh Government

In attendance
Karin Takel (KT)	Strategy and Corporate Governance Lead
Sean Canavan (SC	Head of Strategy and Change
Joanne Butcher (JB)	Head of Finance and Commercial (item 6)
Angie Punchard (AP)	Risk and Operational Governance (item 7)
Natasha Perrett (NP)	Board Secretary

Apologies
Navees Rahman (NR)	Director of Corporate Services
Christine Thorby (CT)	Director of Strategy

1.0 Welcome and Declaration of Interests

1.1 The Chair welcomed the Board. Apologies were received from NR and CT.

1.2 The Chair called for Declarations of Interest, of which there were none.

2.0 Minutes of January Board meeting

Actions

2.1 Heathrow Project update – there is potential for the Heathrow Project timescale to move whilst the challenge to the National Planning Policy Statement is considered by Government. This will not have an impact on resource for the Heathrow team at the Inspectorate as some roles remain vacant and will be recruited to when needed.

Minutes

2.2 No further comments.

Agreed:

2a) The Board agreed the minutes were an accurate record of the January Board meeting.

3.0 COVID19 update

3.1 The Board received an update from Executive Team (ET):

• ET are meeting daily to monitor and discuss coronavirus impact on staff and operations.
• COVID19 Response Project has been established and is being Chaired by Navees Rahman with handover to Paul McGuiness.
• Coronavirus intranet site has been set up, daily communication to staff is published on the main news feed. Frequently asked questions page is available and updated as new information and guidance emerges.
• Customer information has also been published and is updated regularly.
• Majority of staff are now working from home as we already have the technology in place to support home working. Line managers are supporting staff that do not normally work from home to adjust.
• Focus for the organisation is on mental health, monitoring the impact of school closures and impact for those with caring responsibilities and how to support people.
• Casework will continue where it is safe and possible to do so. Unaccompanied site visits (USVs) will continue as inspectors do not require access to the site. Those opting for accompanied site visits are being asked to consider if a USV could be carried out.
• We are bringing forward options to conduct examinations, hearing and inquiries virtually. We are exploring this with stakeholder groups, focus is on how we make sure all parties are able to engage and are heard.
• Two National Infrastructure cases are in progress at the moment and are unlikely to finish within the deadline as there are still parties to be heard. GS and team are discussing options.
• On Local Plan casework, GS and team are exploring the options available to keep Local Plan work progressing.
• Lots of support is being provided to staff via line managers, information and support services on the intranet, providing additional equipment to support home working and teams are setting up ways to keep in touch.
• Our IT services are resilient and able to support home working.

Corporate Governance arrangements and priority items

3.2 On review of the forward planner, the following meetings have been prioritised and will continue:

• the bi-weekly standard ET meetings will continue with the addition of the daily ET coronavirus focused meetings
• April Strategic Panel meeting focussed on innovation
• May Board meeting
• June Audit and Risk Assurance meeting and Board meeting
• July Board meeting.

All other strategic assurance panel meetings will be rescheduled to reduce the demand on the Strategic Leadership Group during this time.

3.3 The Board took assurance from the action taken so far and thanked the Senior Leadership Group and staff for everything they have done to respond and support each other and the organisation.

Agreed:

3a) During this time we need to make sure communications to our stakeholders are regular, clear and set out the things we can do, the things we cannot do and how we are looking at processes to keep casework running and to make improvements now and for the future.

3b) For latest communications to staff and links to guidance for customers, regularly check the intranet.

3c) Board to be ready to support and advise Executive Team when needed, be prepared for short adhoc focussed meetings if needed. Executive Team to reach out to Board/ Non-Executive Directors (NEDs).

Action:

3d) KT to review and agree the minimum level of Corporate Governance required for the Board to continue to discharge its duties whilst supporting the Executive Team to focus on critical work during the coronavirus outbreak.

3e) SR/ PM to make sure the Board receives regular updates from Executive Team/ the COVID19 Response Project on key issues to delivery, changes to business objectives and risks.

3f) Board briefing to include the following information:

• Sickness rates, including impact on mental health and how supporting
• Key points of challenge
• Numbers of resource moved/ shared and impact on organisation

4.0 MHCLG and Welsh Government updates:

4.1 The Board received an update from MHCLG:

• SG’s team at MHCLG is supporting a number of critical workstreams which are around supporting vulnerable people and economic response during the coronavirus outbreak.
• Following announcement of the Budget there will be focus on Housing and Planning for the future.
• A deadline has been set for Local Plans to be in place by 2023. 4.2 The Board received an update from Welsh Government:
• Resource is being redeployed to critical areas of work in Local and Central Government.
• Policy changes are being made around enforcement and looking at the type of enforcement notices which should not be enforced against during the outbreak.
• Wales Separation project may need to pause whilst focus and resource is deployed to support the coronavirus outbreak.

Action:

4a) SG to ask MHCLG teams to provide clarity around skills and experience needed to support the department when additional resource requests are made and requests to be channelled through PM

5.0 Operations update

5.1 Work continues to focus on customer orientated productivity measures following the Customer focussed Strategic Assurance Panel in February. The team are looking at how this links together with Operation Delivery Transformation (ODT) and providing more predictable timings and messaging for our customers.

Agreed:

5a) To notes the Operations update

6.0 Operational Delivery Transformation (ODT) (OFFICIAL SENSITIVE) – Part two minutes

7.0 Financial position and budget planning (OFFICIAL SENSITIVE) – Part two minutes

8.0 Risk agree risk appetite

8.1 Board was asked to approve the table and risk appetite presented.

Agreed and action:

8a) The Board agreed the risk appetite was in the right place, but asked AP and KT to review how risk is collectively described and presented to the Board and in the Annual Report. Come back to the Board with a proposal.

9.0 Forward agenda, review of meeting & AOB

9.1 Whilst the coronavirus outbreak continues, the Board to receive an update on the impact as set out at section 3f of these minutes.

Meeting feedback

9.2 TE asked how the actions and decisions in response to the coronavirus are being captured. PM will capture the actions and decisions made through the COVID19 Response Project.

Agreed:

9a) The Board agendas to focus on key items which enable the Board to discharge its duties and to include coronavirus update as set out at 3f.

Next meeting: 21 May 2020