Team feels strain of planning caseload

28 August 2007 08:42

The watchdog team that protects communities in south Norfolk from developments that threaten to blight, damage or endanger neighbourhoods is buckling under a record workload.

South Norfolk Council's development control services manager, Paul Whitham, says the heavy caseload and lack of staff is threatening the operation of the enforcement department.

That team is responsible for taking action against anybody building without planning consent and protects the public from eyesore developments, those that could disturb neighbours and those threatening a community's economy.

In a report going before the council on Monday, Mr Whitham says the department is on track to receive a record 396 complaints of planning breaches this year and the number of enforcement notices issued already exceeds the number in the past three years. On top of this, two officers have gone on extended sick and unpaid leave.

Mr Whitham warns: "We are having difficulty in assessing actions required and progressing the cases after the initial site investigation.

"The high numbers of planning applications, staff shortages and the peak holiday period has meant that it has not been possible to redistribute the work to other members of the development management team."

He says he is confident that it will be able to readdress the backlog once the team is back up to full strength but feels the situation highlights how vulnerable the small department is to long-term absence.

Mr Whitham cites criticisms of the department's performance last year, when the decision to save money and run the department with only one enforcement officer resulted in a backlog of cases and complaints from the public.

A temporary part-time officer was appointed and another retained last April, which allowed the department to deal with the backlog and improve its service - until the latest staff absences arose.

Mr Whitham thinks the council should renew the contracts of the temporary officers if it is going to maintain an acceptable level of service or should consider appointing another planning officer to deal exclusively with enforcement issues.

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