Issue - meetings

The report of the Planning and Development Team Manager.

The Planning and Development Team Manager presented the report, giving members an update on the performance of the team for the second period of the financial year. On average the report showed the number of new cases remained pretty similar at the same point last year. It was confirmed that the majority of the investigations carried out by the team continued to be unauthorised works at dwelling houses. Non compliance with planning permission was also noted as one of the main issues which the team had been called upon to deal with.

Officers wished to draw members’ attention to issues within the team, currently only having two permanent enforcement officers as opposed to three. It was noted issues may take longer to investigate due to staffing numbers, however it was noted that work is being carried out to recruit more staff although there is a shortage of enforcement staff across the county, so this could potentially be a lengthy process.

Member questions were invited, and a member asked why there were difficulties in recruiting and retaining staff. Officers advised that there were generally less people seeking to become enforcement officers and that the role of planner seemed to be more popular. It was noted that salaries did have an impact but that this was also a countrywide problem.

Another member wished to thank officers for a useful report and for the team’s prompt response and regular updates when contacted with any planning issues.

It was asked if there had been a reason that an increase in breach of planning conditions had occurred and officers responded that was cyclical in nature. Officers noted that the authority had no control over what members of the public do and that there had been no discernible apparent reason for the increase in numbers.

Councillor D Bigby enquired whether it would be possible to know if these breaches had been by individuals undertaking a small extension or if had it been large developers taking advantage of the lack of enforcement staff and deliberately not complying. Officers responded that members of the public do not regularly break their conditions intentionally and tend to do so in error, whereby it would be a distinct possibility that some of the larger developers had been actively ignoring some of the conditions which had been imposed. It was confirmed that officers were aware of and pursuing such cases.

A member disagreed that this would be likely as larger developers are involved with insurance companies and bound by regulations which require them to comply with planning conditions.

It was moved by Councillor J Bridges, seconded by Councillor J Legrys and

RESOLVED THAT:

The information contained within the report be noted