North Yorkshire Council

 

For the Corporate Director of Resources

 

11th February 2026

 

Adoption of the Call for Sites Protocol

 

 

1.0       PURPOSE OF REPORT

 

1.1       The purpose of this report is to seek approval to adopt the Call for Sites Protocol from  the Corporate Director for Resources in consultation with the Corporate Director Community Development and the Executive Member for Open to Business and the Deputy Leader of the Council and Executive Member for Finance and Resource

 

 

 

2.0       SUMMARY

 

2.1       The Executive approved the submission of 47 Council owned sites to the NYC Local Plan Call for Sites exercise at the Executive meeting held on 4th November 2025.

 

            In recognition of the Council’s separate roles as landowner and planning authority, a draft Protocol has been produced to establish clear guidance on the Call for Sites exercise and Local Plan process.

 

            The attached draft Protocol is in final form and advice from Legal Services is that a formal decision should be taken to adopt the protocol and to formally record it by completing the attached Decision Record.

 

3.0       BACKGROUND

 

3.1       The attached draft Protocol was appended to the ‘Call for Sites Proposed Submissions for Council Owned Sites’ Executive report on 4th November 2025. Members were recommended to note that the draft Protocol had been developed and the adoption of it would subsequently be approved by the Corporate Director for Resources, in consultation with Corporate Director Community Development, the Executive Member for Open to Business and the Deputy Leader of the Council and Executive Member for Finance and Resource

 

            The objectives of the Protocol are to:

 

•        Ensure compliance by Officers and Members with statutory and regulatory obligations and the Council’s Constitution;

•        Promote fairness and impartiality in decision-making processes whether it be by Committee or pursuant to schemes of delegation;

•        Implement robust governance mechanisms that identify, manage and mitigate conflicts of interest or the perception of such;

•        Promote transparency and accountability in decision-making and adherence to best practice.

 

Key Council Officers

 

3.2       The Protocol identifies the Key Council Officers responsible for and leading on the identification of sites for submission as part of the Call for Sites. These Officers and their teams shall have no involvement in issues or decision-making relating to the subsequent allocation of sites as part of the Local Plan process.

 

3.3       The Corporate Director of Community Development, Assistant Director Place Shaping and Growth, Heads of Planning and the planning teams shall have no involvement in any decision making with regard to the selection of sites the Council submits as part of the Call for Sites.

 

3.4       When the Corporate Property Board are discussing identification of sites for submission as part of the Call for Sites or feedback on the potential sites for submission, the Corporate Director for Community Development should consider recusing themselves from such discussion in light of their role in local plan preparation.

 

Legal Services Officers

 

3.5       The Assistant Chief Executive Legal and Democratic has overall responsibility for the Legal Service with the Head of Property, Planning and Environment having day to day management across both the Legal Property and Planning and Environment teams.

 

3.6       Should legal advice be required by the Corporate Director Resources, Assistant Director Property and Procurement, Strategic Land Manager and Estates Manager Commercial Major Projects in relation to the submission of landholdings identified by the Call for Sites this will be dealt with by the Property Legal Team who in this matter would report directly to the Assistant Chief Executive Legal and Democratic.

 

3.7       The Head of Legal Property, Planning and Environment and any member of the Legal Planning and Environment Team shall have no involvement with providing any legal advice to the Corporate Director of Resources , Assistant Director Property and Procurement, Strategic Land Manager and Estates Manager Commercial Major Projects in relation to the selection or the submission of sites as part of the Call for Sites and officers in the Property Legal team shall not be involved in providing any legal advice to the Corporate Director of Community Development, Assistant Director Place Shaping and Growth, Heads of Planning and the planning teams in respect of the Call for Sites.

 

Council Members who sit on Council Planning Committee/ Development Plan Committee

 

3.8       The notification of proposed sites to be submitted as part of the Local Plan Call for Sites by officers to Members does not, of itself, give any Member of a Council Planning Committee or the Development Plan Committee any declarable interest or prejudice their ability to take part in any Planning Committee or Development Plan Committee.

 

Approval of the Protocol

 

It is proposed that this Protocol be approved by the Corporate Director Resources in consultation with Corporate Director Community Development, the Executive Member for Open to Business and the Deputy Leader of the Council and Executive Member for Finance and Resource

 

 

 

 

 

4.0  REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS

 

4.1       To ensure compliance by Officers and Members with statutory and regulatory obligations and the Council’s Constitution whilst promoting transparency and accountability in decision-making and adherence to best practice throughout the preparation of the NYC Local Plan

 

 

5.0

RECOMMENDATION

 

For the Corporate Director of Resources following consultation with Corporate Director Community Development, the Executive Member for Open to Business and the Deputy Leader of the Council and Executive Member for Finance and Resource

to:

 

 

i) approve and adopt the Call for Sites Protocol following consultation with Corporate Director Community Development, the Executive Member for Open to Business and the Deputy Leader of the Council and Executive Member for Finance and Resource

 

 

 

            APPENDICES:

 

            Appendix A – Call for Sites Protocol

 

 

 

Gary Fielding

Corporate Director – Corporate Director of Finance and Resources

County Hall

Northallerton

11th Feb 2026

 

Report Author – Stewart Brown, Strategic Land Manager

Presenter of Report – Stewart Brown /Kerry Metcalfe Assistant Director Commercial, Property and Procurement