The Planning Inspectorate (Welsh) - Annual Report and Accounts 2005/06

Section 10 - How We Run The Inspectorate

The Inspectorate’s Strategic Management Board is headed by the Chief Executive and comprises a Director of Policy/Head of Profession, two Operational Directors and a Director of Corporate Services. The Board also includes two Non-Executive Directors who provide knowledge and independent advice based on their wider experience in other organisations.

The Strategic Management Board provides strategic advice to the Chief Executive. The Board is tasked with delivering the Inspectorate’s mission, values and objectives. It particularly advises on the allocation of resources necessary to meet Ministerial targets and on the way in which the Inspectorate’s role, direction and priorities should be communicated to staff and other stakeholders. It also monitors and seeks to improve the Inspectorate’s performance and ensures responsiveness to customers’ needs.

Katrine Sporle
Chief Executive

Leonora Rozee OBE
Director of Policy,
Head of Profession

Roger Pritchard
Director of Corporate
Services

Mark Parkinson
Director of Operations

Alan Langton
Director,Wales and
Major Casework

Jonathan Vickers
Non-Executive Director

Liz Peace
Non-Executive Director

Audit Committee

The Audit Committee is a sub- Committee of the Strategic Management Board and is part of the arrangements to ensure that the Inspectorate’s corporate governance arrangements comply with best practice. The Committee’s major task is to monitor and control the programme of audits carried out by ODPM’s/DCLG’s Internal Audit Service. These audits provide the Chief Executive with assurance that propriety rules and value for money are being adhered to.

The Committee is chaired by Jonathan Vickers, one of the Non-Executive Directors. In addition, the Committee includes the other Non-Executive Director, the Operational Director, and the Director,Wales and Major casework.The Chief Executive, the Director of Corporate Services, the Head of Finance and representatives from the National Audit Office and Internal Audit Service attend by invitation.

Management team

Day to day operational management of the Inspectorate is in the hands of the Management Team, which comprises the Board excluding the Non-Executive Directors but supplemented as necessary by other managers for specific issues. The Management Team currently meets once a fortnight, but anticipated senior staff changes in 2006/07 may lead to some re-appraisal of the relationship between the Strategic Management Board and the Management Team.

Risk management

The Inspectorate is committed to ensuring that key risks to the organisation are identified and steps taken to minimise or eliminate them in the event of occurrence. In accordance with best practice, the Inspectorate has a Strategic Risk Register which is reviewed regularly by the Strategic Management Board and the Audit Committee. In addition, it has Business Area Risk Registers (BARRs) which are regularly reviewed by the Management Team and the Strategic Management Board.

Relationships with appeal organisations in Scotland and Northern Ireland

The Inspectorate has regular meetings with our counterparts in Scotland and Northern Ireland (the Scottish Recorder’s Office and the Planning Appeals Commission for Northern Ireland).This gives the opportunity of sharing information and addressing issues of mutual concern.

Freedom of information

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the revised Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) came into force on 1 January 2005. During the period 1 January – 31 December 2005, we received 94 requests for information, mainly from parties to specific appeals.Where the requested information was held it was released in full or part in 88% of instances. Routine requests for information must be answered within 20 working days and we responded to 80% of requests within this timescale.

Customers unhappy with our original decision on whether to refuse information have the right to an internal review. 8 reviews were held and in all cases the original decision was fully or partially upheld.There is a subsequent right of appeal to the Information Commissioner, but no appeals were submitted. Increasing the availability of information is an explicit requirement of the FOIA and EIR. Throughout 2005 we continued to make use of our web site proactively to publish new information to reduce the need for customers to make formal requests for information.Where appropriate, the accessibility of information for the diverse range of our customers has been improved by, where possible, supplying information in non electronic format, such as in large text font sizes or in languages other than English or Welsh. Details about the information held on our IT systems is registered on the Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI) “Inforoute” service. Our Information Asset Register (IAR) was updated in 2005 to improve access to unpublished information potentially available on request.

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