Transparency data

Board meeting minutes 28 January 2021 - The Planning Inspectorate

Updated 17 April 2024

Applies to England

Minutes FINAL (25th March 2021)

Title of meeting	Planning Inspectorate Board Meeting
Date	28 January 2021
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
Navees Rahman (NR)	Director of Corporate Services
Christine Thorby (CT)	Director of Strategy
Graham Stallwood (GS)	Director of Operations

In attendance
Strategy and Corporate Governance Lead (KT)
Strategic Governance Officer (notes) (NP)
Head of Strategy and Change (SC) (item 6)
Head of Human Resources (SL) (item 7)
Strategic Planning & Performance Manager (CG) (item 8)
Health, Safety & Wellbeing Manager (SB) (item 7)

Apologies
Simon Gallagher (SG)	Director of Planning, MHCLG
Neil Hemington (NH)	Chief Planner, Welsh Government

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 SG and NH.

2.0 Minutes of previous Board meetings and corporate action tracker

November Board minutes 2.1 No further comments received.

Corporate Action Tracker 2.2 Action updates:

• Action 5 – Planning Reform update to come to May Board.
• Action 11 – Virtual Events analysis is taking place, CT will share with Board when ready.
• Action 13 – Engaging NEDs with Operational Delivery Transformation - GS confirmed this action is now complete, NEDs agreed.

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

3.0 Sponsor updates

MHCLG 3.1 The Board received the following update from MHCLG via the Chair:

• Winter/ COVID/ Post-transition – is big for the department and there is lots to be done working with local authorities to make sure they are involved in the process.
• Spending Review – allocations are agreed, and work will be begin to start planning for a full multi-year spending review.
• Planning Reform – continues to be very important for the Department and Ministers.

3.2 SR added engagement and visibility of what is happening has been very positive with MHCLG colleagues, SR has joined the Planning Reform and Project Speed Boards.

Agreed: 3a) To note the updates

4.0 - Operational Delivery Transformation (ODT)

4.1 Following NED engagement with the draft ODT Business Case, GS asked for feedback on how to best keep the Board involved. The following points were made:

• NEDs to be kept informed of progress and consider if NED input would be helpful as part of ET assurance. Informal NED briefings could also be used to keep the NEDs up to date and informed as issues arise.
• NEDs may find it more helpful to have a topic-based discussion and deep dive the big risks and include benefits capture and delivery. This was a recommendation in ST’s report which came to Board in November.
• Delivering projects in an agile way is very important, having agile oversight at Board is part of that.
• Having a risk assurance paper coming back to the Board which is in line with the new risk appetite statements would be helpful.

Agreed: 4a) ODT would continue to be a standing item on the Board agenda.

4b) GS to indicate where help/ input/ support from the Board is needed.

4c) GS to consider the questions and insights required from the Board, reach out to NEDs if early input/ exploration would be helpful to shape report/ questions to the Board.

Actions: 4b) GS ODT performance, including risk (are you on forecast/ if not why not, risk assurance), management of new contract, Virtual Events and Digital agenda to become a standing item at Board.

5.0 Operational Performance

5.1 The key update for the Board:

• The major risk through this period has been the schools closing and capacity reductions, the third lock down impacted performance as expected.
• Whilst there has been an impact on performance, we have issued approximately 1300 decisions and 1000 visits have taken place.
• The Board suggested turning this update into a blog as a good way of sharing impact and progress.
• National Infrastructure schemes have been submitted and vary in complexity.
• There has been an increase in the number of householder appeals (HAS) being submitted and will shift the procedure balance to written representations.

Agreed: 5a) The Board thanked everyone for their work to keep performance running during these challenging times.

Actions: 5a) GS to include the 90th percentile and longer data runs in the performance reports when the data is available.

6.0 Planning Reform and Project Speed update – OFFICIAL SENSITIVE item

7.0 Health and Safety update

7.1 The key update for the Board:

• The new Health, Safety and Wellbeing Manager has been appointed and takes up post in February.
• 10 high priority actions have been identified, three of which will be completed by April. Work has started on the other seven actions; completion dates need to be added to the plan.
• The Health and Safety Manager and Risk and Operational Governance Manager are reviewing how to improve reporting to Executive Team and the Board on Health and Safety risks.
• The Board voiced concern around the length of time to complete the high priority actions and asked for the plan to be reprioritised.
• NR reassured the Board that the organisation sees health and safety as a priority and is working to understand the resource required to implement the plan.
• The Health and Safety Manager and scheduled audit will look at the plan and actions.

Agreed: 7a) The Board was reassured progress is taking place and support the plan.

Actions: 7b) NR to review the action plan in April with a view to bring forward actions if possible in discussion with Health and Safety Manager.

7c) NR to confirm when to bring Health and Safety delivery progress update back to the Board.

7d) NR with Executive Team to review Data Governance project, structure and resource of the Health and Safety team.

8.0 Business Plan Endorsement

8.1 The Board was asked to endorse the 2021/22 Business Plan.

Agreed: 8a) The Board agreed the document was well written and was a good reflection of the discussions that had taken place across the organisations to bring the document together. The Board endorsed the Business Plan.

Actions: 8b) CG to check the use of acronyms in the plan and to check page 11 for specific one off projects and group these together.

9.0 Forward look, review of this meetings, AOB

9.1 Addition for the Board forward look:

9.2 Remove from March agenda:

• Performance measures ad targets will not come to the next board meeting. Current position is to continue to run in parallel with measures.

9.3 RD gave an update following the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee:

• The external audit plan is on track for pre-recess timetable.
• External Audit will focus on the Digital agenda and switch to Virtual Events, National Audit Office will look at this.
• There was a discussion about reporting on the Business Plan and how this will be assessed.
• Risk appetite statements have made good progress.

9.4 The Board and ARAC agreed papers and presentations had been pitched well and thanked those presenting.

Agreed & Action: 9a) CT, SR and TE to agree if Planning Reform and Project Speed should return to Board or a Strategic Assurance Panel meeting. In the meantime, CT to give updates at the bi-weekly NED briefing.

Next meeting: 25th March 2021