Agenda item

To receive an update of the Planning Review including a draft performance action plan issued to the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

The Portfolio Holder for Planning, Stansted Airport, Infrastructure Strategy and the Local Plan said that work had been undertaken over the last two years to improve the service and this was the fourth report prepared to provide an update to Members.  He said that the report set out the work completed in detail and he thanked the Director of Planning for the work he had undertaken and the effectiveness of what had been achieved.

He asked that the Committee noted the completion of the pathways work and endorsed the further work to be undertaken, working with the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, (DLUHC), in the monitoring of a Performance Action Plan against which the Planning Service’s performance would continue to be assessed by the DLUHC.

In response to Members questions the following comments were made:-

• The work that had been undertaken fulfilled the responsibilities and statutory duties of the Planning department to a satisfactory level.  However, it was the intention to work towards providing an excellent service. 
• The availability of skilled planning personnel remained an issue and was the main priority for the department.  It was not a problem unique to this Council.
• There was approximately a third of staff that were either temporary or agency staff. 
• The Planning Policy team had three vacancies, taking into account permanent and agency staff.  These were in the process of being filled and offers had been made, albeit using mostly agency staff.
• In Development Management there was one vacancy, but a number of other positions were filled with agency staff and there was a process underway to recruit permanent staff.
• The ‘fit for purpose’ comment in the report related to the ability of the Planning department to meet all statutory requirements; this had not been the case a couple of years ago. 
• Improvements were ongoing but would take time to implement.
• On the Local Plan Team, an offer had been made to an experienced Policy Manager who had verbally accepted a six months contract, from March 2023, to run the team. 
• There were still gaps in the team and this could result in slippage. 
• The Local Plan team consisted of nine members of staff and there had been offers made to fill the three vacant posts. 
• The Director of Planning was part of a recruitment group across Essex, and they were exploring various options in terms of shared planning services.
• Contracts for senior staff were being reviewed and in order to provide more security to the Council, a three month notice period was being considered. 
• The duty planner service had been suspended but there was a proposal within the budget to reinstate, with a small fee of £90.
• In the job adverts for planning staff, the lack of a Local Plan had been stated as a positive to shape the future of the district. 

Members made the following comments: -

• There was an ongoing problem with enforcement.
• Officers were thanked for the effort and progress made to recruit staff.
• Progress had been made on the S106 process.

The Chair said the report was a good piece of work; the task and finish group confirmed that they were pleased with the progress that had been made.  The Committee unanimously commended the report.