Hykeham Joint Planning Committee

1. JOINT STATUTORY COMMITTEE

The Hykeham Planning Committee (HPC) will be a single statutory committee of both North Hykeham Town Council (NHTC) and South Hykeham Parish Council (SHPC). Powers will be delegated as listed below. The HPC will be an autonomous body although its members may be withdrawn at any time by either of the Councils and new members proposed. The minutes and decisions of the HPC will be circulated to all Councillors of NHTC and SHPC.

2. MEMBERSHIP

The HCP will consist of a maximum 12 Councillors. There will an allocation of membership of a maximum of 8 NHTC Councillors and a maximum of 4 SHPC Councillors, these to be elected annually by each Council. Applications for membership will be made to the Clerks to the Councils in May each year except in election years, when the application will be made as soon as the election results are known. Councillors may also indicate their nomination as chairman or deputy chairman of the committee. These posts will be elected at the first meeting through secret ballot (if needed). It would be preferable to have the chairman and deputy chairman of the HPC from different Councils.

3. ADMINISTRATION

The HPC will be administered by the Town Clerk of NHTC. The correspondence address (including e-mail) will be at Fen Lane, North Hykeham. All documentation will be stored at Fen Lane either in paper form or digitally to ensure legal compliance and proper data back-up. All minutes and decisions of the HPC will be made available to all Councillors of both Councils.

The Clerk will ensure timely distribution of agendas, minutes and supporting documents to the members of the HPC.

The Clerks of NHTC would be responsible for the Clerking of all meetings, the day to day correlation of plans, distribution of all agendas and minutes and all other associated administrative tasks including correspondence and submission to the NKDC Planning Portal.

This arrangement will be reviewed annually.

4. MEETINGS

Meetings will be held at Civic Offices, Fen Lane, normally every two weeks, but this schedule is dependent on the timing and frequency of plans and other matters to be debated. Any changes to the schedule will be agreed by the Council Clerks and the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the HPC. Minutes of all Joint Planning Committee meetings will be approved at the next meeting of the Joint Planning Committee not at Town or Parish Council meetings

5. TECHNOLOGY

All Communication will be sent out by email

6. FUNDING

Legal costs and professional advice to be charged to each appropriate Council and reviewed on a case by case basis.

Costs to South Hykeham Parish Council to be reviewed each year.

7. STANDING ORDERS

As both Councils use versions of “model standing orders” issued through NALC, procedures for debate, notices, statutory committees and voting should be covered in both Council’s Standing orders. However, the Clerks should ensure that there are no conflicts between the versions of the Standing Orders to ensure compatibility and the Councils should elect to have one set of standing orders to cover this committee. Therefore, for the purpose of meetings of the HPC it was agreed that the relevant NHTC Standing Order will be adopted.

8. RESPONSIBILITIES

Comment on Planning Applications

Evaluate any plans submitted to the HPC by external organisations

Ensure compliance to the Joint Neighbourhood Plan and undertake appropriate reviews

Act within legal planning guidelines

Liaise with developers, potential developers and statutory bodies that may affect NHTC and SHPC

Debate strategic and Governmental planning issues when they arise.

Deal with any matters referred to them within the above remit by either NHTC or SHPC.

Compliance with NKDC Planning Legislation– NKDC Planning Department to be contacted for technical input to ensure compliance.

Pursuance of delegated authority from the Planning authority.