Planning delegates assessment panel

A planning delegates assessment panel (PDAP) is a panel of two or more delegates, at least one of which is a senior council officer. It may include non-planning officers such as a building surveyor, environmental health officer, or traffic engineer. The composition of a PDAP may be based on the type or complexity of a permit application.

A PDAP:

• can be used to assess or decide all or part of a permit application
• allows for a range of technical views to be heard
• can bring senior officer experience into decision making on complex permit applications
• can reduce the number of matters that are decided by the Council
• demonstrate to councillors that complex applications are being appropriately considered under delegation with senior officers involved.

A council officer typically prepares a planning report and recommendation for consideration by the PDAP. This same officer would attend the PDAP meeting to answer any questions the PDAP may have.

The delegate that decides the permit application should not be the officer that prepared the planning report.

The planning report and council officer recommendation should be signed by the council officer who prepared the planning report and the delegate that decides the permit application.