Transparency data

Board meeting minutes 25 July 2019 - The Planning Inspectorate

Updated 17 September 2024

Applies to England

Minutes FINAL (24 October 2019)

Title of meeting	Planning Inspectorate Board Meeting
Date	25 July 2019
Venue	Conference room 3, Temple Quay House, Bristol
Chair	Trudi Elliott (TE)

Present
David Holt (DH)	Non-Executive Director
Sarah Richards (SR)	Chief Executive
Simon Gallagher (SG)	Director of Planning, MHCLG
Caroline Bee (CB)	Head of Finance, Commercial and Performance

In attendance
Karin Takel (KT)	Strategy and Corporate Governance Lead
Simone Cowdery (SC)	Board secretary
Graham Stallwood (GS)	Director of Operations (item 4)
Sean Canavan (SCa)	Head of Strategy and Change (item 4 & 7)
Tim Guy (TG)	Director of Transformation (item 4)
Pauleen Lane (PL)	Professional Lead (item 5)
Patricia Bartlett (PL)	Data Protection Liaison Officer (item 5)
Christine Thorby (CT)	Director of Strategy (item 8)

Observer(s)
Stephen Tetlow (ST)	Non-Executive Director
Sally Dixon (SD)	Non-Executive Director

Apologies
Navees Rahman (NR)	Director of Corporate Services

Part One: Schedule of Actions – 25 January 2018

Action: 15. Circulate draft targets submission to Board members for comment.

Owner: Sarah Richards

Para: 6.8

Timeframe: On hold pending SR19 submission

Part One: Schedule of Actions – 29 November 2018

Action: 2. Hold a session on risk matters with SLTs in quarter one next year.

Owner: David Holt & Navees Rahman

Para: 3.12

Timeframe: Looking for alternative dates

Part One: Schedule of Actions – 31 January 2019

Action: 5. Recommendations 1 and 2 – Jo Esson (transferred to Karin Takel) to review with ET and agree timescale to review the Governance Structure. Considering the new Director roles and mapping across to the sub-committee and aligning with the ET structure and running order of meetings to suit business needs.

Owner: Karin Takel

Para: 8.1

Timeframe: 13th November for 21st November Board

Action: 6. Recommendations 3-14 - deliver these recommendations from the review.

Owner: Karin Takel/Natasha Perrett

Para: 8.1

Timeframe: In progress

Action: 7. Look at the induction process for the new NEDs and to make sure it is less staff intensive and to include Board engagement sessions with full establishment of ET and full establishment of NEDs. If necessary, plan in two phases to allow for appointments to be made.

Owner: Navees Rahman & Chris Thorby (was Jo Esson)

Para: 8.1

Timeframe: Phase one – complete; Phase two – in progress

Part One: Schedule of Actions – 21 March 2019

Action: 1. Consider and agree with Executive Team (ET) if political sensitivity issues should be including on the SRR.

Owner: Tony Thickett/Chris Thorby

Para: 2.1

Timeframe: Awaiting update

Action: 3. Benchmark AWDL data across other organisations in the Civil Service.

Owner: Navees Rahman/Katie Hartwright

Para: 4.2

Timeframe: Action on hold - Action to progress once OD phase 2 is in place and HR resource becomes available.

Action: 5. Send Performance Recovery updates to the Board on the months when the Board does not meet.

Owner: Transferred to Tracey Jones (previous owners Sean Canavan/Tim Guy)

Para: 5.7

Timeframe: Complete – TJ aware of requirement and updates will be circulated out of Committee via teams.

Action: 6. Produce a performance recovery communication for the NEDs to share with customers when necessary.

Owner: Transferred to Tracey Jones (previous owners Sean Canavan/Tim Guy)

Para: 5.7

Timeframe: In progress – will be circulated by NP to the Board.

Part One: Schedule of Actions – 23 May 2019

Action: 1. Follow up action 1 of the March minutes with CT.

Owner: Natasha Perrett

Para: 2.1

Timeframe: Awaiting update

Action: 2. Discuss with TT and Simon Levi (previously KH) the impact on future recruitment and how we recruit for specific vacancies in Wales.

Owner: Navees Rahman

Para: 4.6

Timeframe: Awaiting update

Action: 3. Come back to the July Board:

• Consider how to deliver information and red flags to the Board
• Consider how the data should be used by the NEDs when discussing and making decisions about performance improvement.
• Demonstrate the table containing all casework targets and performance.
• Add inputs and outputs to give the Board visibility of the trend of the backlog
• Income needs to be in tabular format.
• People measure – to be incorporated from the People Strategy.
• Customer measures – to be incorporated.
• User friendly commentaries.
• Include a list of information and when the Board can expect it to be included.

Owner: Navees Rahman/Duane Oakes

Para: 5.2, 5.5, 5.7

Timeframe: On hold – will be captured in highlight reporting process set out in the Strategic Governance Proposals paper – item 7 September Board agenda.

Action: 5. Discuss funding and underspends, not recruiting enough Inspectors and performance recovery at the July Board.

Owner: Navees Rahman/Caroline Bee

Para: 6.4

Timeframe: 13th November for 21st November Board

Part One: Schedule of Actions – 25 July 2019

Action: 1. Amend the date and check the attendee list for the May Board minutes.

Owner: Simone Cowdery

Para: 2.1

Timeframe: Complete

Action: 2. Work out a plan for deep dive critical projects workshops in August.

Owner: Simone Cowdery/Natasha Perrett

Para: 3.4

Timeframe: Complete

Action: 3. Arrange for the Bridget Rosewell updated plan to be circulated to the Board once published.

Owner: Simone Cowdery/Natasha Perrett

Para: 3.5

Timeframe: Will be circulated when available, currently in draft.

Action: 4. Add the Inquiries review to the September Board agenda following Bridget Rosewell visit on 19th September

Owner: Simone Cowdery

Para: 3.5

Timeframe: Complete – item 3 on September Board agenda

Action: 5. Speak with the Communications team on when we should communicate our emerging positive story.

Owner: Sean Canavan

Para: 4.1

Timeframe: Awaiting update

Action: 6. Share the original diagnosis work arising from the dashboard.

Owner: Sarah Richards/Tim Guy

Para: 4.2

Timeframe: Complete

Action: 7. Provide the new Non-executive with reading material on the Inquires review.

Owner: Graham Stallwood

Para: 4.3

Timeframe: Complete

Action: 8. Provide a further update on ODT following the Beta testing rollout.

Owner: Tim Guy

Para: 4.5

Timeframe: Complete – item 4 on the September Board agenda

Action: 9. Produce an information flow chart for applicants to be shared with the Board.

Owner: Pauleen Lane

Para: 5.2

Timeframe: Awaiting update

Action: 10. Look at a deep dive workshop with the NEDs, in August, around culture change.

Owner: Sarah Richards

Para: 6.1

Timeframe: 24th October - Session to be held in place of October People Committee.

Action: 11. Look at a new Strategic Risk around Heathrow and for it to come back to the Board in September.

Owner: Pauleen Lane

Para: 6.2

Timeframe: Complete - Heathrow agenda item added to September ARAC agenda. Action transferred to September ARAC.

Action: 12. Send the presentation of the All Staff Briefing to the NEDs.

Owner: Simone Cowdery

Para: 7.4

Timeframe: Complete

Action: 13. Invite the NEDs to the OnePINS event in January.

Owner: Simone Cowdery/Natasha Perrett

Para: 7.4

Timeframe: To be actioned when date confirmed

Action: 14. Bring back to Board in September, a draft high level plan with timeline.

Owner: Chris Thorby

Para: 8.4

Timeframe: Item 6 on September Board agenda.

1.0 Welcome and Declaration of Interests

1.1 The Chair welcomed the Board introducing ST and SD. Apologies were received from NR.

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

2.0 Minutes of May Board meeting (part one)

Actions 2.1 SC to amend the date and check the attendee list as it is showing March details.

Minutes 2.2 No further comments were received on the May Board minutes.

Minutes of May Board meeting (part two)

Actions 2.3 SC to check and amend the attendees list.

Minutes 2.4 No further comments were received on the May Board minutes.

Minutes of the June Board meeting

Minutes 2.5 No further comments were received on the June Board minutes.

Minutes of the May CQPSC (Customer Quality and Professional Standards) meeting

Minutes 2.6 No further comments were received on the May minutes.

Agreed:

2a) SC to amend the date and check the attendee list for the May Board minutes.

2b) The part one Board May minutes are an accurate record of the meeting.

2c) The part two Board May minutes are an accurate record of the meeting.

2d) The June Board minutes are an accurate record of the meeting.

2e) The May CQPSC minutes are an accurate record of the meeting.

3.0 Critical Projects timeline

3.1 SR produced a one pager which set out our three critical projects showing what the time lines looked like along with milestones and overlaps.

3.2 At the moment the three projects are running critical risks with staff moving into new roles within the structure. This leaves us with a limited number of people with the skills and capability to be able to deliver the projects.

3.3 The real risks are around change load which is constantly under review and also comes to Executive Team (ET) every couple of months.

3.4 ST would like some time offline to go through these projects to which SR agreed that August would be a good time for deep dives. SR and SC to work out a plan.

3.5 DH mentioned about an updated plan on the Bridget Rosewell line (inquiries review) and how the board would need to have sight of that. SC to arrange for this to be circulated to Board once published and for this to be discussed at the Board meeting in September following a visit from Bridget on 19th September.

Agreed:

3a) SR and SC to work out a plan for deep dive critical projects workshops in August.

3b) SC to arrange for the Bridget Rosewell updated plan to be circulated to the Board once published.

3c) SC to add the Inquiries review to the September Board agenda following Bridget Rosewell visit on 19th September

4.0 Performance recovery update

4.1 Performance recovery Dashboard

• Focus has been on S78 Written reps appeals and with 60% of new customers getting a named inspector in just over 3 weeks, this is good news and a positive step.
• However, we are now starting the more challenging casework and we won’t see the result of this for a couple of months, but we are starting to see clear lines of recovery.
• Analysis is being done for the rest of casework and the target for this is Spring 2020.
• The key to this is to bring in new Inspectors and we have so far hired in 114. The challenge to this however is getting in more senior experienced Inspectors and to which we have gone out to the external market. In the latest recruitment we are interviewing 49 applicants where 28 of those have come externally, confirming that it was right to look external.
• TE confirmed that it has been a struggle to get here but can now see the fruits of our labour. Appreciation was given to SCa for the hard work.
• TE spoke on the communications around this and how we let planning professions and Government know. SG suggested on leaving the communications for a while as a lot of the recent experience would not have yet been picked up. SCa to speak with the communications team on what more we should do and when on our emerging and positive story of moving in the right direction.

4.2 PINS Board Dashboard

• To give a better understanding on where some of the actions in the dashboard arise from and why we have invested in that, it would be good to share the original diagnosis work with the new Non-Executives. SR and TG to pick up.
• There is a risk in performance recovery and the ability to hit the rest of our Casework targets.
• Performance recovery is only a sub section of what is going on. There is a degree of confidence around this but that is not to say that there aren’t potential cracks elsewhere. Performance recovery has taken the lead and the test will come in January/February with the other initiatives.
• SD commented on the targets aspect and SG agreed that we need to get back to a performance level that looks good before having the conversation on reshaping targets.

4.3 Inquiries review

• GS confirmed that this is going well with two decisions out in advance of the target date.
• Current focus is now on the longer-term implications in terms of resources with a potential pinch point in November.
• GS has had good review learning session with an agent, with them being complementary on the new approach whilst acknowledging that they would also have to adapt to this change.
• TE asked for GS to provide the new Non-executives helpful reading material to get them up to speed.

4.4 Reading regime

• GS produced a paper which looked at the volumes in previous years, explained why it has increased now and the measures that have been implemented.
• The measures implemented have had a positive impact but there is more work to do on the next steps. There remains an issue about being clear about risk appetite and the risks involved in changing the reading regime.
• One of the changes that should make a difference is to have closer working relationships. The OD solution may put this in place with a shift towards line managers (inspector managers) undertaking reading for their groups.

4.5 Operational Delivery Transformation (ODT) update

• The programme has been running for two years looking at the business processes across 25 areas of casework, changing the back-end systems and the front-end customer facing systems.
• Next Wednesday (31st July), subject to a ‘go/no go’ decision on 30 July, we will be going into private beta testing with a limited number of customers. Internally this will involve 5/6 Inspectors, a case team and 27 Local Authorities in the South East regions.
• TE commented that for us to be engaging with the customer was a significant milestone and looks forward to hearing how the next phase of customer interaction goes.

Agreed:

4a) SCa to speak with the Communications team on when we should communicate our emerging positive story.

4b) SR/TG to share the original diagnosis work arising from the dashboard.

4c) GS to provide the new Non-executive with reading material on the Inquires review.

4d) TG to provide a further update on ODT following the Beta testing rollout.

5.0 Data Breaches

5.1 PB updated the board on a recent significant breach that happened with an ex-employee. The Information Commissioners Office (ICO) were happy with the way it has been handled internally.

5.2 PL provided an overview of the extent to our data handling and wanted to give assurance on how we are handling those risks. This includes a privacy notice on the Intranet for all staff to see with whole sections relating to handling personal data. PL has also distilled this information into a flow chart. TE commented that this was useful, clear and user friendly and wondered if there was an equivalent that could be used for applicants. PL will look to see if something similar can be produced.

5.3 An action plan is in place but a lot of this also comes down to not having the technology in place to be able to handle the data received. This is being looked at through ODT which will hopefully provide a solution.

Agreed:

5a) PL to produce an information flow chart for applicants to be shared with the Board.

6.0 Strategic Risk Register review inc Heathrow

6.1 CB provided a verbal update to the Strategic Risk Register following discussions that has taken place at ET earlier in the week. These included:

• S3 (Transformation agenda and savings) – comfortable with the current score but it will be monitored, and it will change in the future.
• S4 (Operational performance) – after consideration on everything that is going on in the programme, the score has been reduced to 16 and is now an amber risk from red.
• S6 (preparation for spending review) – this was set up on how prepared we were for the spending review. It was agreed at ET that this would now close and instead there will be a different risk around the funding.
• S7 (Cultural resistance to change) – there was a lot of discussion at ET around this and it was agreed to spend some time understanding if the risk is around cultural change. SR commented that it would helpful to do a deep dive with the NEDs to have a look and do some work on getting an initial sense on this issue. This is to happen before the next Board meeting in September.
• S9 (GDPR and Data Management) – the detail in this is correct but the wording needed to focus on embedding with better reflection around GDPR.
• S1 (Capability and Capacity) – this risk is aligned with the Strategic Plan. There was discussion at ET as to whether we were capturing what we should be or if there was more. ET agreed to have a workshop on this to look at in more detail.

6.2 Following on from S9, it has been agreed that a new Strategic Risk is needed, especially around Heathrow. This is currently being pulled together and we will see it back at Board in September.

Agreed:

6a) SR to look at a deep dive workshop with the NEDs, in August, around culture change.

6b) PL to look at a new Strategic Risk around Heathrow and for it to come back to the Board in September.

7.0 Organisational Design (OD) Update

7.1 SC presented a presentation which he gave at the All Staff Briefing the day before. This explained where we are, the next steps and timescales.

7.2 One decision that has now been rectified is the work clarifying how casework is split between Tom and Simone’s areas , the removal of the terms ‘high and low volume’ and what falls into which area. This is a major step forward and with this being in place it now helps to pull the design together.

7.3 Other areas of work that the Design Group have been doing include

• Customer segmentation – how we interact with customers
• Capability map – where we want to get to in terms of the new future state of the organisation
• Stop, start, change, continue – looking at the functions that Directorate teams do and asking what they should stop doing, start doing, change or continue doing
• Gathering all the evidence, designing the structures and then implementation

7.4 It is hoped that both this and ODT will align together for one big event proposed for January 2020. We are currently waiting on a venue to be firmed up but would very much like the NEDs to attend.

Agreed:

7a) SC to send the presentation of the All Staff Briefing to the NEDs.

7b) SC to invite the NEDs to the OnePINS event in January.

8.0 Customer Strategy update

8.1 One of our Strategic objectives is to deliver excellent customer service. Internally we are not in the right place to promote this and therefore we have employed a Customer Insight Officer who has carried out research and updated our Customer Strategy.

8.2 The Insights Manager has been helpful in seeing where we are going wrong. For example, we have no real ownership of the whole customer experience, no governance, no ownership on where it should sit, what it should do, how we use the information to help develop new ways of engaging and we don’t have systems that talk to each other, which is the key for us to make changes.

8.3 The Insights Manager can see the problems and now needs to seek solutions for them. The key points to start would be looking at where Customers sit, who has the governance for it and who is accountable for which bit. Big picture questions will be resolved through OD.

8.4 ST suggested it would be helpful to see some timelines to which CT will bring back with a draft high level plan in September.

Agreed:

8a) CT to bring back to Board in September, a draft high level plan with timeline.

Next meeting: 13.00 – 16.00, Boardroom, 3rd floor, Temple Quay House, Bristol