Councillor L Watson introduced the report and commented that it contained a comprehensive review of the Planning team’s management and achievements since 2015. The motion approved for comprehensive review is a commitment to continuous improvement. Councillor Watson stated that the Power BI Dashboard has increased transparency.

Councillor Morris-Cook stated that she was surprised to note the amount of decisions made by the conservatives against officers recommendations advice that impacted the green belt. Councillor Morris-Cook also noted that one particular developer came up repeatedly. Councillor Morris-Cook highlighted that the report shows complete transparency.

Councillor L Watson commented that the Planning Committee have been great this year and have received lots of training.

RESOLVED:

2.1 Cabinet noted the findings of the report on the performance of Thurrock Council's Planning Department, covering the period from 2015 up until November 2024, including the analysis of applications received, those dealt with by delegation, those progressed to committee, and those passed or rejected contrary to officer recommendations; and

2.2 Cabinet noted the contents of the raw data contained in Appendix A.

2.3 Cabinet agreed the contents of this report as a response to the motion set out at paragraph 1.2 of this report.

Reason for the decision: as outlined in the report

This decision is subject to call-in