The Planning Committee is established to
discharge all the functions of the Council as a Local Planning
Authority, except for those reserved to Council or Executive
Board. If an application for planning
permission involves complex or sensitive issues, if it represents a
significant departure from the City Council’s Development
Plan, or if formal objections to it have been raised, then the
application cannot be resolved by the Council planning officers and
it is determined by the Planning Committee. The Executive Board is
responsible for formulating the Development Plan, for approval by
the full Council, and it consults the Planning Committee as part of
the drafting process. The Committee is
made up of sixteen councillors appointed to reflect the political
balance of the Council.