Transparency data

Board meeting minutes 19 November 2020 - The Planning Inspectorate

Updated 17 April 2024

Applies to England

Title of meeting	Planning Inspectorate Board Meeting
Date	19 November 2020
Venue Virtual meeting	all participants dialled in
Chair Trudi Elliott (TE)	Chair

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
Paul McGuiness (PM)	Director of Corporate Services
Christine Thorby (CT)	Director of Strategy
Graham Stallwood (GS)	Director of Operations
Simon Gallagher (SG)	Director of Planning, MHCLG
Neil Hemington (NH)	Chief Planner, Welsh Government

In attendance
Jo Butcher (JB)	Head of Finance and Commercial (item 6)
Tracey Jones (TJ)	Change Portfolio Lead (item 7)
Paul Bassett (PB)	Health & Safety & Wellbeing Manager (item 8)
Natasha Perrett (NP)	Strategic Governance Officer (notes)

Apologies
Karin Takel (KT)	Strategy and Corporate Governance Lead

Minutes

1.0 Welcome and Declaration of Interests

1.1 The Chair welcomed the Board and called for Declarations of Interest, of which there were none. Apologies were received from KT.

2.0 Minutes of previous Board meeting and corporate action tracker

September Board minutes 2.1 No further comments received.

Corporate Action Tracker 2.2 No further comments received.

Agreed: 2a) The minutes are an accurate record of the September meeting.

3.0 Sponsor updates

MHCLG

3.1 The Board received the following update from MHCLG:

• Focus across Government is on the Winter season and COVID19 and making sure there is resilience in services during this period.
• Spending Review announcement from the Chancellor is due week commencing 23rd November.
• Planning Reform consultation closed at the end of October. Work is now underway to develop detailed policies.
• Project Speed is also a focus for the department, National Infrastructure strategy announcement is expected.

Welsh Government

3.2 The Board received the following update from Welsh Government:

• Welsh Separation project has slowed due to the pandemic and redeployment of resources. NH will be writing to the team in PINS Wales to give reassurance around the project.
• National Spatial Plan is progressing and is due for publication next year.

Agreed: 3a) To note the updates

4.0 Operational Delivery Transformation (ODT) review

4.1 The key update for the Board:

• The review was very helpful, recommendations have been reviewed by the ODT Board and an action plan drawn up. The plan requires some refining as some recommendations sit outside of ODT Board responsibility.
• There was a notable positive change in confidence in the team.
• Contractor management has improved.
• Strategy team to work with the ODT team to review the priorities in the organisation and make sure aligned with the Business Plan, business as usual and delivery of ODT.
• Leadership is clear at every level.
• Digital inhouse capabilities need attention, particularly short-term skill requirements.
• System development and delivery is taking place in sprints. The ODT programme is reviewed every 2 weeks, this is an opportunity to see the actual system. To ensure stability of the system as it grows, it is tested regularly.
• Progress is being made to link ODT, Project Speed and Planning Reform together. Work is taking place around our priorities and how this link to the Business Plan for 2021-21. Discovery work for National Infrastructure applications will be part of the discovery work this year to make sure we are fully engaged to meet the requirements of Project Speed.
• The ODT business case will be submitted to the Investment Sub-Committee in January, it will be important to include in the vision effective engagement with stakeholders and shareholders of the end to end planning system and have the overall vision and engagement included.
• The business case is being developed and the team are meeting weekly to discuss, we are setting out how this work links to the white paper and other areas in planning. Benefits realisation and delivery will be important, GS will be seeking input from the Non-Executives (NEDs) as well as other stakeholders.
• Clear tracking and ownership for delivery will be important and will be built into the Business Plan.

Actions: 4a) GS to send the ODT Business Case to the NEDs when available (early December).

4b) GS and PM to make sure the NEDs are formally engaged and kept up to date on progress, this is to include the digital agenda and how this is being taken forward.

4c) SG to hold a session with the NEDs on Planning Reform.

5.0 Operational Performance, including Interim Operating Model update

5.1 The key update for the Board:

• Overall cases numbers are falling, more decisions are being decided compared to the number of new appeals received.
• 60 events have been taking place each month.
• The average time for decisions is lengthening, we are still seeing the impact of no visits and casework not progressing during March and April.
• New enforcement appeals have returned to pre-pandemic levels.
• The Interim Operating Model has been adopted. Main change is around support for virtual events being owned by the organisation and everyone having a role to play in supporting the events.
• From January onwards inquiry performance should improve with postponed cases going through the process.
• Hearing case numbers continue to rise, we continue to focus on increasing the number of virtual hearings.

5.2 The Board agreed this was good news and asked what we are doing to share this externally. GS explained we have been working hard to publish messages and this is being supported by stakeholders. Professional Leads are also appearing at conferences talking technology and virtual events.

Agreed: 5a) The Board thanked everyone in the organisation for their work and contribution to move casework into the digital space at a very difficult time.

Actions: 5b) GS and CT to review and consider at what point we will publish an article on what we have learnt from digital events, which should also cover the academic insight on public engagement and what this has meant for inclusion and generations. 5c) SG to share PAS findings on lessons for operating virtually.

6.0 Financial Position

6.1 The key update for the Board:

• Biggest variance is on the income forecast which has been impacted by the slow down of National Infrastructure and Local Plan submissions.
• Staff carrying larger amounts of leave than normal is also having an impact on the budget.
• Spending Review submission was submitted to MHCLG, decision expected in December.

Actions: 6a) JB to update the NEDs when Spending Review outcomes known.

7.0 Change Portfolio update

7.1 The key update for the Board:

• Plans are under way to improve the Change Portfolio through a new governance structure which is being discussed and will be supported by new processes and templates to track costs and benefits.
• Concerns around the capacity on the organisation to absorb the change load have been raised. These are being worked through with Heads of Service (HoS) and Professionals Leads, also included in this work is a need to understand resource requirements to support the key projects in the portfolio.
• HoS and Professional Leads will be engaged with the decision making process under the new model and will ensure the Change Portfolio team are working with subject matter experts.
• The Change Portfolio budget is on target.
• ODT project status is currently Red, this will remain the case for a little while whilst we recruit and develop the digital expertise required.
• A Continuous Improvement model will be put in place to review and track lessons learnt. Quarterly reviews will take place to make sure changes are being effective part of the new structure.
• The Change Portfolio Lead is working with HoS and Professional Leads to help them to understand their involvement.

Agreed: 7a) To note the update.

8.0 Health and Safety update

8.1 The key update for the Board:

• Health and Safety should be embedded in everything we do, giving a balanced approach so colleagues are protected, and we can deliver what we are here to do.
• Whilst the Internal Audit Reports highlights failings, there are lots of things are doing well and we need to celebrate these successes and be positive.
• Gap analysis is underway, to compare safety performance against six key strategic safety objectives using a framework. The gap analysis will be key in identifying data gaps, providing evidence for the things we do well and the things we need to fix.
• The September Health and Safety Committee agreed to review workloads across the organisation following concerns raised by the Trade Unions. These conversations have started with Executive Team.
• Temple Quay House (TQH) is a COVID secure working environment, the COVID Project Board has been a positive and effective Board which has responded to and implemented guidance promptly and continues to monitor the situation. Personal risk assessments are required for those colleagues wishing to return to the office.

Agreed: 8a) The Health and Safety Strategy is important and needs to be implemented sooner. To enable Board to monitor and take ownership of Health and Safety, targets and tracking organisation effectiveness, key priorities and risks and Executive Team’s view of the key risks need to be developed.

8b) Board need visibility of the plan, better assessment of the risks, priorities and better data.

8c) The Board confirmed this was a priority area for the organisation to focus on.

8d) The Board thanked PB for his on the Health and Safety to date.

Actions: 8e) PM/ NR to come back to January Board with an update on progress of the H&S Strategy, assessment of the highest risks, list of the priority data and list of targets. Also update on the Inspector workload and organisation workload issues.

8f) PM to keep Board updated on PB’s replacement and to make sure actions are covered.

9.0 Effectiveness Review

9.1 The Key update for the Board:

• 16 responses were received, giving a response rate of 40%. Responses related to the Planning Inspectorate Board (Board, Audit and Risk Assurance Committee (ARAC) and Strategic Assurance Panel (Panel) meetings.
• A number of areas were identified for improvement across all meetings such as agenda items and timings, better meeting management, level of conversations and summarising of actions and outcomes, action management, clarity of relationships and reporting lines between the various executive groups.
• Specific feedback for Board, the purpose and role of the Board needs to clarified for the organisation, lead in time for papers to be reviewed and the dashboard to be a regular Board item.

Agreed: 9a) The Board agreed the recommendations set out in the paper.

9b) Regular communication following Board, ARAC and Panel meetings should take place, setting out what the meetings have discussed and delivering key messages.

9c) An independent effectiveness review should take place next year.

Actions: 9d) NP/ KT to seek input from GIAA on how our effectiveness review compares with other organisations.

9e) NP to discuss with Communications Lead (LB) a programme of communications following the meetings.

10.0 Forward look, review of this meetings, AOB

10.1 Addition for the Board forward look:

• Health and Safety update at January Board.

Agreed & Action: 10a) TE to draft a blog for the intranet including:

• Thank you to everyone in the organisation for their work and contribution to move casework into the digital space at a very difficult time and those responding to requests to support the department and other directorates in the organisation.
• The Business Plan Panel meeting and outcomes.
• Performance.
• Health and Safety.
• Updates from MHCLG and Welsh Government.
• Change Portfolio.
• Digital journey.