The Assistant Director (Planning) and the Assistant Director (Communities) presented Members of the Strategic Environment Committee with an update against the Performance Management Framework, as introduced within the council’s Corporate Plan, for Quarter Three 2020-21 (October to December 2020).

The Assistant Director (Planning) highlighted the following:

·         P I 35 - % of ‘Major’ planning applications processed on time: 100% for Quarter Three.

·         PI 35 - % of ‘Non-Major’ planning applications processed on time: 97% for Quarter Three, an improvement from 61% in Quarter One

The Assistant Director (Planning) provided the Committee with a presentation that highlighted some contextual information on the Corporate Performance Q3 2020-2021 and planning applications, this can be viewed by following the link below:

https://democracy.gravesham.gov.uk/documents/b13419/Presentation%20-%20Corporate%20Performance%20Plan%20Q3%20Tuesday%2016-Feb-2021%2019.30%20Strategic%20Environment%20Cabi.pdf?T=9

The Assistant Director (Communities) highlighted the following:

·         Town Centre footfall had recovered to 80% of the footfall for the similar period the year before, however a further lockdown announced in November placed additional restrictions on businesses, with the closure of non-essential retail. As a consequence, footfall this quarter reduced to 68% of the previous year and a decline of 20% on Q2. The run-up to Christmas is a key trading time for retail as a consequence the impact on the retail in the Town will have been acutely felt.

·         Redevelopment proposals in the Town Centre are moving forward and there is momentum with investment in the area. There has been a lot of work in lockdown to ensure schemes progress.

·         Work has also been taking place on an Economic Development Strategy for the borough.

The Assistant Director (Planning) and Assistant Director (Communities) fielded questions from the Committee and highlighted the following:

·         The Planning Department are always trying to improve but the recent LGA Peer Challenge provided added momentum. Recent changes include:

-       pre-application payments done on the telephone

-       Refresh planning website pages including information on dropped curbs and windows and doors guidance.

·         The Planning Department are now seeing a lot more compliments rather than complaints. Agents and applicants are so much more engaged.

·         There are a number of planning applications that do not generate a fee, including:

-       Listed building consent

-       Application for tree works

-       If the application relates to a condition or conditions on an application for Listed Building Consent or planning permission for relevant demolition in a Conservation Area

·         Fees are set by the government; the only area the Council have control is on pre-application advice because it’s non-statutory.

·         Commercial properties: vacancy relates to business rate records. Vacancy figures for the town centre are counted within the streets and town itself so this accounts for the variation. The Council could look at bringing those two figures together.

·         Branding: this came out of the Peer Review; we need to demonstrate the message we put to investors (e.g. connectivity to London and opportunities for investment)

The attractiveness of Gravesham not being London has come to the fore;

Albion Waterside development will be submitted next week which recognises the value of Gravesend.

The Committee thanked officers and noted the Corporate Performance Update for Quarter Three 2020-21.