Encouragement for improvements in the planning service
Wealden District Council has welcomed the assessment by the Audit Commission that, in planning, it offers “a fair service that has promising prospects for improvement.”
“We invited the Audit Commission to inspect our planning operation after our Comprehensive Performance Assessment in 2004. We feel we have already made significant improvements in the speed with which we deal with general applications, and we are grateful to it for highlighting other areas for improvements,” said Councillor Keith Whitehead, Cabinet member for Sustainable Development and Regeneration.
“In line with the Commission’s recommendations, we are keen to find out what works well in other authorities’ planning departments so we can best identify what future resources we will require and then draw up comprehensive long term plan.”
“We have already started implementing a series of improvements to ensure that staff and resources are focussed where they matter most, and we are pleased that the Audit Commission has recognised the commitment of both councillors and officers.”
The Audit Commission report said Wealden’s planning service:
? Has a good track record in customer care.
? Its democratic arrangements support good decision making.
? Its officer reports are sound.
? It intervenes effectively to protect and improve the natural and built environment.
? It enforces planning controls actively.
? Customers feel the Council is placed in a difficult position by Government planning policy, but that it does a good job in the circumstances.
“Whilst the cost of planning services is an issue requiring further scrutiny, we should not forget that we occupy a large rural area which is under severe pressure from outside developers and residents looking to improve their assets,” said Cllr Whitehead.
“Our officer case-load is enormous – in fact we handled more planning decisions than any other district council in the year ending March 2005 – but our cost in handling each application is still in line with the average for English non-metropolitan districts.”
“Wealden has always tried to make the best planning decisions,” said Council Leader Nigel Coltman. “We are now looking at ways in which the best can be speeded up.”
“I think it is premature to comment on the effectiveness of our Local Plan policy until we hear the outcome of the High Court Appeal, which received support from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. “But throughout the drawing up of the Non Statutory Local Plan, decisions were made by elected members through the Local Plan Special Review Committee when in other districts, these have been delegated to officers and portfolio holders,” added Cllr Coltman.
"Sustainability issues are firmly on the Council’s agenda. We have noted that the Commission felt Wealden councillors, like others in the south east, 'are not completely engaged with the Government's planning agenda', but I believe that locally-elected Wealden councillors are the better judge than Whitehall, on the difficult issues of high density housing and reduced car parking provision,” said Cllr Coltman.
