Conservation Areas Advisory Committees (CAACs)

Terms of reference

The CAAC terms of reference have been agreed by the joint chairs.

Term of reference 1

To advise the Council on planning applications and other matters referred to the Committee, and in particular whether such applications etc. may affect the character or appearance of a Conservation Area.  Representations from CAACs on planning applications should be submitted to our Planning and Development Team. 

Term of reference 2

To advise the Council when preparing Conservation Area Character Appraisals or policies for the preservation and enhancement of a Conservation Area.

Membership and procedures

CAAC membership and procedures have been agreed by the joint chairs.

Membership

1. The Committee should reflect a cross-section of local people. Nominations to serve on the Committee should be sought from such bodies as the local civic amenity historical and archaeological societies, the Royal Institute of British Architects, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, the Royal Town Planning Institute, the Association of Building Engineers, local residents’ associations, if appropriate, the local chamber of trade or commerce as well as residents living in a local Conservation Area. Council members may either be appointed to serve on the Committee or attend meetings as observers.
2. CAAC’s will advertise for new members when places become available and new members would be chosen by the Committee on the basis of their potential contribution to the work of the CAAC.
3. Appointments to committees shall be for a period of four years, but may be renewed after that period.
4. Each committee will have no less than six and no more than 20 members in order to ensure that it can work effectively. The names and addresses of all CAAC members shall be held by the Council for reference.
5. The CAAC shall elect a chair, a vice chair and a secretary to serve for a minimum period of a year.
6. The name of the Chair along with a general contact for each CAAC shall be included on the CAAC webpage on the Council’s website.

Procedures

1. Meetings shall be held monthly and details of the meeting frequencies shall be included on the CAAC webpage on the Council’s website.
2. A quorum of at least one third of the CAAC members shall be required for the committee to meet.
3. Matters shall be decided by a simple majority vote of members present. The Chair shall have the casting vote where agreement cannot be reached.
4. The CAAC does not fall within the definition of a committee or sub-committee as contained in Section 102 of the Local Government Act of 1972. Thus meetings of the CAAC are not automatically open to the public and the press. However, in order to ensure transparency, CAAC meetings in Kingston shall be open to the public for observation only, with no right to speak.
5. The CAAC may invite applicants and other parties involved in proposed developments to the meetings in order to explain or clarify their proposals. It is important to note that the CAAC is a consultee in its own right and it is there to form its own views on the applications they received to comment on.
6. Representations from CAAC on planning applications should be submitted using the online CAAC's Planning application comment form and all comments from the CAAC on a planning application must be set out in adequate detail. If the CAAC objects to an application they must clearly identify the reasons why the proposal is harmful to the character and appearance of the conservation area and why it is not in accordance with the Council’s development plan or planning guidance.
7. CAACs’ comments shall be taken into consideration in the planning officer’s assessment of the planning application and recorded in the officer’s report.
8. Where the CAAC has objected to an application and this objection cannot be overcome and the recommendation is approved, this application will not be determined under delegated powers, but will be considered by the relevant Council planning committee. The CAAC will be given the opportunity to address the Committee meeting.
9. Members of the CAAC shall not be remunerated for their participation in the activities of the CAAC.
10. If any member of the CAAC has any pecuniary interest, direct or indirect, in any planning application or other matter before the CAAC, that member shall declare their interest, withdraw from the meeting while the matter is under consideration, and this should be noted in the minutes.