Transparency data

Board meeting minutes 26th January 2023 - The Planning Inspectorate

Updated 17 September 2024

Applies to England

Title of meeting	Planning Inspectorate Board Meetings
Date	26 January 2023
Venue	Conference Room 6, 3 Rivergate, Temple Quay, Bristol BS1 6ER
Chair	Trudi Elliott

Present	Planning Inspectorate Board Meeting
Stephen Tetlow (ST)	Non-Executive Director
Rebecca Driver (RD)	Non-Executive Director
Sally Dixon (SD)	Non-Executive Director
Paul Morrison (PM) Chief Executive
Graham Stallwood (GS)	Director of Operations
Sean Canavan (SC)	Director of Strategy
Jo Butcher (JB)	Interim Director of Corporate Services
Navees Rahman (NR)	Director of Corporate Services
Conrad Smewing (CS)	Director of Planning, DLUHC (virtual)

In attendance

Strategic Governance Officer (NP), minutes (full meeting)

Boardroom Apprentice (ZO’S) (full meeting)

Sponsorship Team (RW), DLUHC (virtual)

Assistant Director, National Infrastructure Planning & Reform (RC), DLUHC (virtual) (until item 7)

Head of Digital & Data (AB), (item 5)

Head of Operations Group 2 (SW), (item 6)

Project Manager (AC), (items 6)

Head of Innovation (CH) (item 7)

Chief Digital & Information Officer (RG) (item 8)

Strategy & Corporate Governance Lead (KT)(item 9)

Observers

Internal Communications & Stakeholder Engagement (SN)

Strategy & Corporate Governance Team (AB)

1. Welcome and Declaration of Interests

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

2. Minutes of September Board meeting and corporate action tracker 2.1 Two amendments required to part one minutes:

• Section 5.2, second to last bullet before actions. Change first sentence to “RD would like to see chart showing existing cases by how long they have been in the system, to show how the age profile of existing cases is changing. This would indicate whether the prioritisation process is being successful. GS…”

• Section 6.2, second to last bullet before agreed. Change to: “RD suggested keeping track of the impact of different communication’s strategies, in order to assess their impact on behaviour.”

2.2 One amendment required to part two minutes:

• 7.1 first bullet. Engagement between the Inspectorate and department, not DLUHC and department.

2.3 SC closed the following action on the action tracker:

• provide the NEDs with early sight of the outcomes of the skills and flexible resourcing project, ahead of the January Board.

Agreed:

2a) Subject to the amendment at 2.1 and 2.2, the minutes of the November Board meeting are an accurate record of the meeting.

Actions:

2b) NP to update the November Board minutes with amendments at 2.1 and 2.2.

2c) NP to close skills and flexible resourcing action as discussed at 2.3.

3. Audit and Risk Assurance Committee (ARAC) – January meeting update 3.1 RD as Chair of ARAC gave the following update to the Board:

• Good news stories shared in relation to assurance, the Civil Service Commission agreed the Inspectorate sits in the good category for the recruitment process which had not rated as well previously.

• Audits conducted on our payroll process and procedures and financial governance both received a substantial opinion from the Governance Internal Audit Agency (GIAA).

• The Committee reviewed the approach to risk appetite and agreed the recommendation for management of risk. This includes using financial reporting tools to focus on tech projects and costs to the organisation if projects are missing targets or not meeting benefit delivery.

• The Committee reviewed and agreed the approach taken to produce the annual report and accounts this year.

• The internal audit plans for this year and the next financial year were reviewed. With four outstanding audit reports for this financial year, a new process has been agreed between the Inspectorate and GIAA to prevent bunching of reports in the future. The plan for next year was assessed and the recommendations agreed by ARAC.

• Finally, GIAA agreed, with the committee to have more oversight or understanding of what was happening with the recommendations GIAA make and how these are addressed in the organisation. The Committee will start to receive updates from responsible people, particularly where audit actions are not progressing.

Agreed:

3a) To note the ARAC update from the Chair (RD).

4. Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) update

4.1 CS gave the following DLUHC update to the Board:

• The Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill is with the House of Lords, consultation starts from the 20th February for five weeks and is on track for Royal Assent April/ May.

• National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) consultation is live and closes on the 3rd of March.

• The Nationally Significant Infrastructure Planning (NSIP) action plan to speed up processes is close to publication. The implementation of the action plan will impact on the Inspectorate.

• The Minister is interested in and focussed on the progress and speeding up planning case backlogs.

• The Office for Place arm’s length body should receive approval in the next couple of months.

4.2 The Board discussed the following points:

• RD reflected on the changes to the planning system and potential for this to become more complicated with more rules for developers and asked if there will be a system similar to ‘what three words’ to bring the planning rules together. CS explained the area of digital in the Bill is to standardise the data to bring the information and data together as suggested. PM agreed there are things in the Bill to standardise data and further discussion with CS and the team will be needed to expand and link together.

• TE asked about resourcing implications for local plans, when the department thinks this will happen and what absolute resource will be required before and after implementation. CS explained local planning authorities (LPAs) pausing and drawing back from plans is being monitored. There are implementation challenges, the team are working to map this. CS will bring this mapping work back to the Board.

Agreed:

4a) The Board noted the update from the department.

Actions:

4b) CS to bring back to the Board local plans mapping work in relation to LPAs pausing and drawing back from plans and the implications and impact on resourcing.

5. Dashboard, including operational performance

5.1 GS and AB gave the following update to the Board on the dashboard:

• NSIP performance remains stable, we continue to meet the statutory indicators.

• Local plan performance also continues to meet the timeframes.

• We issued more appeal decisions when compared to the number of appeals received. The number of hearing and inquiry cases heard doubled when compared to last year, this is now flowing into decisions being issued.

• Since August we have received fewer cases for validation.

• Planning written representation (WR) casework is the next area of focus and resourcing and will undergo a review like that taken to hearing casework.

• In discussing the pinch points, GS explained on WR cases, once the case officer has validated the appeal the case has to wait for an inspector. As part of the planning hearing improvement work, the learning will be applied to improve WR performance.

5.2 The Board discussed the following items:

• CS asked when the forecast trends of cases received and decisions issued, will start to show when the backlog stops going up and the starts to come down. GS explained this is difficult to predict and the main factor is the work being received, there are positive signs that we are closing more cases. The big change will be when we implement changes to WR casework.

• On cases waiting for an inspector to be allocated, ST asked if there are any other people with the skills required to triage the cases to manage the pinch point. GS explained the inspector is required at this point in the casework and felt the focus Executive Team is giving to the Inspector role in the process is right.

• TE raised concern more generally for skills and resourcing across the planning sector and how and when people join the planning system. TE asked CS to raise with the Chief Planner (Joanna Averley) the need to think about this as a priority as no matter how much money is available the skills are not available and this needs to be addressed collectively. SC has also raised how we can engage with other departments.

• ST would like to see productivity measures and ODT deliverables so that Board can hold Executive Team to account. PM agreed to take an action to review the productivity measures with the correct caveats in place which reflect the complexity of the data. ST agreed to start with measures and for Board to understand the limitations.

• RD asked why we are not receiving 100% of cases via the new system for those LPAs onboarded. GS explained the options will be available to submit through both system until April. At the end of April, the Appeal Casework Portal (ACP) will be switched off and all cases will come through the new system. Running both systems helps to minimise risk to date and submissions. Going forward the new system will provide better management information in the future and information structure for Inspectors.

** Agreed:** 5a) The dashboard has improved significantly and thanked AB and team for their work.

Actions:

5a) GS to bring planning written representation improvement work to Board. Following discussion outside of Board, GS confirmed this work will come to the March Board meeting, NP added to the forward agenda.

5b) CS to raise with JA the planning sector wide resourcing issues and the need to collectively address and engage with other departments and update at the next Board.

5c) GS, AB and PM to discuss productivity/ unit cost measures and ODT deliverables and how to present to the Board, applying caveats and limitations as necessary.

5d) AB to explore with Customer Board adding timelines to the customer data on when we deliver.

6. Planning Reform, Project Speed and the Energy Strategy update (OFFICIAL SENSITIVE)

6.1 OFFICIAL SENSITIVE item captured as part two minutes.

7. Skills and flexible resourcing project (OFFICIAL SENSITIVE)

7.1 OFFICIAL SENSITIVE item captured as part two minutes.

8. Operational Delivery Transformation (ODT) programme assurance update (OFFICIAL SENSITIVE)

8.1 OFFICIAL SENSITIVE item captured as part two minutes.

9. Forward Look

9.1 The Board agreed the March Board agenda and this will be an in person meeting to be held in London at Marsham Street.

9.2 NR agreed to write the blog for the Board, with PM writing the March blog and ZO’S writing the May blog.

9.3 As this was NR’s last Board at the Planning Inspectorate, the Board took the opportunity to thank NR for all of his work in the Corporate Services Directorate. Particularly around finance and HR, culture, equality diversity and inclusion and the general corporate direction of travel and the assurance NR has brought to the Board in these areas.

Next Board meeting 23rd March 2023 (in person, Marsham St, London):

• Planning Inspectorate Board – 1.15pm – 4.15pm