Published on Wednesday 01 December 2021
Residents will receive an improved and better service from our planning department, due to the ongoing Planning Improvement Journey, which was reviewed and fully supported, at BCP Council’s Cabinet meeting last week.
The report, which was unanimously endorsed, included a funding plan to invest further in the service to address ongoing demands over the rest of this financial year.
In April 2021, BCP Council’s Cabinet agreed new measures to help support its Planning Service, following acknowledgements of high and increasing work volumes whilst carrying staff vacancies and legacy processes that required improvement.
New leadership, combined with plans to implement positive and transformational improvements, will see the current backlog of applications addressed as a priority. However, to address the issue swiftly a decision has been made to implement a Clearance Week at the earliest opportunity
As part of the Planning Improvement Journey, all teams across the Planning Service will play their role during Clearance Week. This consists of a period of one week, five working days, where the planning service will focus solely on addressing the current backlog of applications. Therefore, from Monday 6 December 2021, for one working week, Planning Teams at BCP Council will not be taking direct enquiries. Customer Service staff will be able to provide limited planning information, but residents or applicants seeking updates will not be updated during this period whilst Planning staff are fully focussed on releasing decisions.
Councillor Philip Broadhead, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Development, Growth and Regeneration, said: "Being open and transparent about the current backlog of applications, whilst acknowledging that ICT systems need to be improved, is essential for us to move forward.
"A decision to implement this Clearance Week hasn’t been made lightly. However, we know it will have a positive impact for both our residents and planning colleagues. I would like to take this opportunity to thank both residents and developers for their patience and understanding during this period. The clearance week tactic has been implemented by other authorities facing similar challenges like ours, with hugely successful outcomes."
During this time, residents and developers with enquiries should refer to www.bcpcouncil.gov.uk/planning for further information.
Cllr Philip Broadhead, added: "I would like to thank our planning service colleagues who have been so committed during recent months, despite ongoing challenges. This service has seen a 21% increase in the number of applications it has received over the last 12 months. This increase, combined with the added pressure of Covid-19, has seen a backlog of applications which need to be processed at the earliest opportunity.
"Our Planning Improvement Journey is a huge organisational, cultural and strategic challenge, but it’s a great opportunity to really make a difference. We have been clear that our area aims to be one of the best coastal places in the world to live, work, invest and play and so we need a Planning Service to reflect this."