Transparency data

Board meeting minutes 24 September 2020 - The Planning Inspectorate

Updated 17 April 2024

Applies to England

Title of meeting	Planning Inspectorate Board Meeting
Date	24 September 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
Graham Stallwood (GS)	Director of Operations
Simon Gallagher (SG)	Director of Planning, MHCLG
Neil Hemington (NH)	Chief Planner, Welsh Government

In attendance
Paul Moffat (PMo)	ODT Programme Manager (item 5)
Stephen Read (SRe)	Head of ODT Change and PMO (item 5)
Sean Canavan (SC)	Head of Strategy and Change (item 6)
Karin Takel (KT)	Strategy and Corporate Governance Lead
Natasha Perrett (NP)	Strategic Governance Officer (notes)

Apologies
Christine Thorby (CT)	Director of Strategy

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 CT.

2.0 Minutes of previous Board meetings and corporate action tracker

August Board minutes

2.1 No further comments received.

Corporate Action Tracker

2.2 Corporate action tracker updates:

• Action 6 – July Board – NEDs to send example objectives to Head of Strategy and Change – Board agreed action closed.
• Action 7 – July Board – Strategic Plan reviewed at September meeting – Board agreed action closed.
• Action 8 – August Board – NEDs do not require any further update on the Planning Reforms at this time – Board agreed action closed.

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

Actions: 2b) NP – close actions set out at paragraph 2.2.

3.0 Sponsor updates

MHCLG 3.1 The Board received the following update from the MHCLG sponsor:

• Collective work is taking place across Government to focus on cumulative risk which includes risks during the winter season, COVID19 and EU Exit.
• The Chancellor announced there would be no budget this autumn; this does not rule out a Spending Review.
• Tackling rough sleeping and homelessness remains a priority for the department.
• Planning for the Future consultation launched on the 6th August and runs until 29th October. This raises questions about the structure of planning and could bring changes for the Inspectorate.
• SG thanked Inspectors and others in the Inspectorate who have provided support, advice and their expertise.

Welsh Government

• Working from home continues in Wales and has been recognised to have a positive impact on climate change and has also increased accessibility to Ministers.
• COVID19 response has been led by Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) in Wales and supported by Welsh Government.
• Staff with economic, transport and agriculture expertise are supporting EU Exit work.

Agreed: 3a) To note the updates

Actions: 3b) Executive Team – consider the cumulative risks facing the organisation, including the winter season, COVID19 and EU Exit, what does this mean for the Inspectorate.

4.0 Operational Performance update

4.1 The key update for the Board:

• There has been a small drop in the number of appeals submitted, whilst this is a drop it is not at the level anticipated. The overall caseload is level.
• During September more than 2000 site visits (SVs), hearings and inquiries have been programmed for September.
• Decisions are expected to increase from mid to late September as Inspectors return from leave and Non-Salaried Inspectors (NSIs) progress casework.
• Virtual Events are progressing well, 52 are scheduled, we still need to schedule more.
• Latest projections show we should return to pre-COVID19 decision making by Spring.

4.2 The Board discussed our current operating model, whilst local lockdowns are happening, our current model will continue to run unless there is a full lockdown as seen previously. Current ways of working allow Inspectors to travel safely and do not require them to enter our customers’ homes, protecting both the Inspector and customer. There are risks around personal circumstances changing for Inspectors, such as schools closing locally. In those circumstances, Inspectors will be able to write up decisions where possible.

4.3 The Board discussed the increase in appeal submissions, we do not have any detailed analysis to tell us why this is happening, it was agreed we need to understand systematically what is happening in the wider system at LPA level. The Operational Delivery Transformation (ODT) work and alpha assessment with stakeholders has told us, for the user the start of our service is when the decision notice from the LPA is received.

Agreed: 4a) Reflections on the paper to Board were positive, the Board gave thanks to all staff for their work during this time to keep casework and Inspectorate operating.

Actions: 4b) Executive Team – consider the process to deep dive policy and process changes with MHCLG which would deliver a better end to end service. SR agreed ET to take away and consider a fundamental process change.

5.0 Operational Delivery Transformation (ODT) programme – delivery update

5.1 The key update for the Board:

• The ODT programme has changed its approach, activity is now focussed on three services – Appeal a Planning Decision, Applications and Examinations.
• The Appeal a Planning Decision service received the ‘met’ standard following assessment against the alpha stage.
• Following the assessment, ODT Gate Review Executive agreed the Appeal a Planning Decision service should progress to beta stage.
• ST has completed the ODT assurance review, high level findings are:
  • Programme is in a much better place with focus on end to end service delivery rather than system delivery.
  • Positive relationships across the Inspectorate, MHCLG and Government Digital Services (GDS).
  • More to be done around embedding Organisation Design (OD) and consider where Product Managers should sit.
  • Work is required to establish key performance indicators (KPIs) and benefit tracking.
  • A process needs to be developed to engage with LPAs as part of the end to end service design, engagement and good collaboration taking place, but no process in place.

Actions: 5a) PM, GS and ST - discuss the ODT assurance report findings when ST’s report is ready.

5b) SRe – schedule NEDs for service demonstrations.

5c) NP – circulate the dashboard to the NEDs.

6.0 Strategic Plan (SP)

6.1 The key update for the Board since the July meeting and review of the plan:

• Board and Executive Team feedback has been used to improve the SP, with focus on clearer objectives, performance framework and drafting an external facing document.
• More information and risk register sections still to be updated.

6.2 Feedback/ questions from the Board:

• Is there enough about the end to end processes and National Planning Infrastructure and being the leader for this delivery and where we are not the leaders we support, show who we are working with to deliver.
• Is strategic change reflected.
• Are we responding to the issues and referencing MHCLG’s priorities (i.e National Infrastructure and speeding up projects) in our objectives and outcomes?
• Risk is separate from the SP objectives; it is not clear which risks will impact on which objectives. Agreed linkages is a longer-term piece of work.
• Digital strategy is being developed and is referenced in the planning for the future section, agreed we need to reference how we fit into the digital end to end process and look for more opportunities to reference the digital strategy in the SP.
• Our digital strategy will align with MHCLG’s end to end vision and processes.

6.3 Next iterations of the SP:

• Remove the efficient and effective priority and allocate objectives to the attractive and inclusive organisation and plan for the future priorities.
• Bring to life what we are going to deliver, how and what the gain will be for those reading the SP.
• Improve our digital ambition and access to data which will support and improve our ability to meet customer needs and make improvements to the whole planning system. Work with Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) and MHCLG on how to do this and gain access to data for the whole planning system.

Add more about our digital strategy and where we want to be, how we are supporting the delivery of MHCLG and Welsh Government digital agendas and how this will impact on the wider end to end planning process and project speed.

Agreed:

6a) Subject to updating the more information and risk register sections and adding more to the SP about our digital vision and journey and delivering MHCLG priorities (National Infrastructure and project speed) the Board agreed the 2020-24 SP.

6b) The next steps set out in the paper: * Development of the Strategic Dashboard – led by the Head of Data and Performance. * Continue to liaise with our sponsors to establish SP approval. * Liaise with Communications team to finalise the design, plan on a page, publication and messaging for internal and external audiences.

Actions:

6c) KT - SP actions:

• Retain the ‘Where we are now and where do we need to be’ section.
• Add a bullet on where we want to be (attractive and inclusive) which says we will fully optimise digital and virtual opportunities.
• Add more to bullets one and two (plan for the future and where we need to be) about our role in the improvement of the planning system, how we do that, and who we will work with to do it. Make sure those flows through to Business Plans.
• Add more about project speed and delivery.
• Review the formatting of the measures set out in the attractive and inclusive organisation section, reduce the number of lines and be more specific.

6d) KT & AP – discuss strategic risks and link to the SP objectives. 6e) Chief Digital Officer (MHCLG) to come to Board to discuss MHCLG digital strategy.

7.0 Forward look, review of this meetings, AOB

7.1 Addition for the Board forward look:

• November - ODT Business Case – GS

7.2 Addition for the Executive Team forward look:

• Cumulative resilience of the organisation – continuation of COVID19, impact of EU Exit.

7.3 Addition for Strategic Assurance Panel:

• Digital agenda

7.4 Future Strategic Assurance Panels to make sure these are reviewing the appropriate strategic risk(s) as part of deep dives.

AOB:

7.5 The Board reiterated thanks to all staff for their hard work during the pandemic and their commitment to continue to deliver casework and support the organisation.

Next meeting: 19th November 2020