DCLG names councils in line for special measures
By Tuesday, 30 July 2013
The Department for Communities and Local Government has revealed the identities of more than a dozen district councils which face being placed in 'special measures' for taking too long to determine major applications.
RTPI members:
The department today published showing which councils are set to be subject to special measures that allow developers to bypass their planning departments.
Under the controversial policy, local authorities determining fewer than 30 per cent of major applications within 13 weeks between July 2011 and June 2013 are to be placed in special measures.
According to the department’s interim figures, based on performance between July 2011 and March 2013, 10 district councils are in line to be placed in special measures on the basis of making fewer than 30 per cent of major applications within 13 weeks.
These are: Halton, Barnet, North East Derbyshire, Tandridge, Cherwell, Lambeth, Fylde, Daventry, Horsham and Blaby. They must improve their performance in the final quarter of the two-year period to escape a special measures designation.
Meanwhile, a further four district authorities – Adur, Hammersmith and Fulham, Lewisham, and Worthing – face being placed in special measures because they have seven quarters of missing data, according to the figures.
Under the special measures policy, if data for seven or eight quarters are missing, an authority will be designated automatically.
Meanwhile, a further 13 authorities face being placed in special measures on the basis of taking too long to determine major "county matters" planning applications, which broadly relate to minerals and waste.
These are: East Riding of Yorkshire, Barnsley, Kirklees, Northumberland, Hertfordshire, Wigan, Doncaster, Peak District National Park, Cheshire East, Bath and North East Somerset, Bury, Hartlepool and Telford and Wrekin.
Under the controversial policy, local authorities determining fewer than 30 per cent of major applications within 13 weeks between July 2011 and June 2013 are to be placed in special measures.
According to the department’s interim figures, based on performance between July 2011 and March 2013, 10 district councils are in line to be placed in special measures on the basis of making fewer than 30 per cent of major applications within 13 weeks.
These are: Halton, Barnet, North East Derbyshire, Tandridge, Cherwell, Lambeth, Fylde, Daventry, Horsham and Blaby. They must improve their performance in the final quarter of the two-year period to escape a special measures designation.
Meanwhile, a further four district authorities – Adur, Hammersmith and Fulham, Lewisham, and Worthing – face being placed in special measures because they have seven quarters of missing data, according to the figures.
Under the special measures policy, if data for seven or eight quarters are missing, an authority will be designated automatically.
Meanwhile, a further 13 authorities face being placed in special measures on the basis of taking too long to determine major "county matters" planning applications, which broadly relate to minerals and waste.
These are: East Riding of Yorkshire, Barnsley, Kirklees, Northumberland, Hertfordshire, Wigan, Doncaster, Peak District National Park, Cheshire East, Bath and North East Somerset, Bury, Hartlepool and Telford and Wrekin.
Planning minister Nick Boles said: "It’s quite right that communities and developers looking to provide homes and jobs are able to see how efficiently applications are processed by their council.
"This list helps people go compare, and see how their council is performing, and allows councils to see where they need to improve to provide a better planning service to their communities."
An exclusive anaylsis of official data published earlier this month by Planning had suggested that were in line to be placed in special measures.
The final designations are likely to be made by the DCLG in September or October once information for the whole two-year period becomes available.
The Local Government Association today hit out at the special measures policy.
Mike Jones, chairman of the LGA's environment and housing board, said: "This is an unnecessary and fundamentally flawed approach that will do nothing to help growth. Councils say yes to 87 per cent of applications of this type, and have been focusing on working with developers to iron out problems, improve development and make the right decision rather than turning down an application to meet a deadline.
"Councils are now being told long after the fact that they should have been focusing instead on a ticking clock.
"It means that rather than important decisions being made by elected representatives in a forum where local people can have a say, they will instead be made behind closed doors by an unelected bureaucrat from Bristol. This is a massive blow to transparency and a major step backwards for the planning system in this country."
The tables are available .
"This list helps people go compare, and see how their council is performing, and allows councils to see where they need to improve to provide a better planning service to their communities."
An exclusive anaylsis of official data published earlier this month by Planning had suggested that were in line to be placed in special measures.
The final designations are likely to be made by the DCLG in September or October once information for the whole two-year period becomes available.
The Local Government Association today hit out at the special measures policy.
Mike Jones, chairman of the LGA's environment and housing board, said: "This is an unnecessary and fundamentally flawed approach that will do nothing to help growth. Councils say yes to 87 per cent of applications of this type, and have been focusing on working with developers to iron out problems, improve development and make the right decision rather than turning down an application to meet a deadline.
"Councils are now being told long after the fact that they should have been focusing instead on a ticking clock.
"It means that rather than important decisions being made by elected representatives in a forum where local people can have a say, they will instead be made behind closed doors by an unelected bureaucrat from Bristol. This is a massive blow to transparency and a major step backwards for the planning system in this country."
The tables are available .
