Coronavirus: Virtual meetings and drones could help Peterborough planners

Virtaul meetings and even drones could be used to help Peterborough city councillors decide planning applications during the coronavirus crisis.
Peterborough City Council's plannimng commiteee met onlinePeterborough City Council's plannimng commiteee met online
Peterborough City Council's plannimng commiteee met online

Peterborough City Council Planning Committee has met online (Tuesday, May 12), to determine the rules that members and applicants must abide by during the COVID-19 crisis.

Chairman, Cllr Chris Harper said: “These are unprecedented times that we’re living and working through and so we must adopt new rules that allow the process of local government to continue.

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“That means we must all learn new ways of administering and approving or refusing planning applications as they reach us.”

Head of Planning, Nick Harding said this was an issue for all local authorities.

“Due to the restrictions that are currently in place, lots of authorities have looked to see how those applications that would normally come before the Planning Committee can be processed,” he said.

“Different authorities have responded in different ways with some delegating the decision to officers, while others have met in virtual meetings like this one – which is what we are proposing to do here in Peterborough.”

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Cllr Harper asked: “Would supporters and objectors still be able to voice their opinions at a virtual meeting?”

Mr Harding replied: “Yes. We would give them an invite code to the meeting and they would be allowed their allotted speaking time exactly as if the meeting were being held normally.

“The only difference would be that we would ask anybody who wanted to speak to submit a written text that could be read in advance by members of the Committee and that the speakers would be ‘meeting’ online.”

Cllr Brian Rush said: “What will be happening now about site visits? I’m sure members will agree with me that visiting a site of an application was often a very good way to get a grasp of what it was that was being planned; but I assume at the moment at least that won’t be possible?”

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Mr Hardingsaid: “At the risk of not answering the question, with the gradual relaxation of the lockdown rules I really can’t say for certain if site visits will or won’t be allowed at this time.”

Cllr Peter Hiller added: “I think that site visits where we all arrive sitting cheek by jowl packed into a mini-bus would definitely defeat the social distancing rules; but, at the same time I agree that site visits are very useful in determining what is being applied for.

“Perhaps, as a suggestion, if Mr Harding and Chairman Harper decided that an application has the merit to require our attendance at the site, then you could inform us in advance and those members able to do so would arrive in separate vehicles and then socially distance ourselves onsite?”

Cllr Harper said: “I think that is a good idea and we will look at each application on its individual merits and decide at that time if a site visit is required.”

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Cllr Graham Casey added: “It’s just a thought, is there any guidance for the use of drones for site visits? I wonder if it would it be possible to obtain a drone and do a fly-by of the property and look at the footage remotely once it’s obtained, rather than go to all the trouble of a site visit by all or some of us?”
Nick Harding replied: “I’m not aware of Peterborough City Council having a drone facility or is licensed to operate one currently, but it is certainly an idea we can look into and find out.”

Planning applications should be submitted during the CORVID-19 crisis as per normal.

The Planning Committee will commence their online meetings to determine these applications later this month.

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