PAPER C
Committee : DEVELOPMENT CONTROL
SUB-COMMITTEE
Date : 20 FEBRUARY 2007
Title : PLANNING
ENFORCEMENT QUARTERLY REPORT
REPORT OF THE HEAD OF
PLANNING SERVICES
SUMMARY
This report updates the statistical
information considered at the meeting of the Development Control Sub Committee
Meeting held on 21 November 2006 and includes the figures for the fourth
(calendar) quarter of 2006.
SCHEDULE OF ENFORCEMENT STATISTICS –
30 DECEMBER 2006
|
NUMBER OF GENERAL ENFORCEMENT COMPLAINTS RECEIVED |
|||||
|
|
JAN – MAR |
APR – JUNE |
JULY – SEPT |
OCT – DEC |
TOTAL |
|
2002 |
118 |
123 |
122 |
95 |
458 |
|
2003 |
106 |
147 |
147 |
108 |
508 |
|
2004 |
112 |
96 |
146 |
49 |
403 |
|
2005 |
118 |
122 |
157 |
128 |
525 |
|
2006 |
121 |
114 |
140 |
97 |
472 |
|
NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS MADE SPECIFICALLY AGAINST COMPLIANCE
WITH PLANNING CONDITIONS AND APPROVED PLANS ON NEW BUILD SCHEMES THAT HAVE
BEEN GRANTED PLANNING CONSENT |
|||||
|
|
JAN – MAR |
APR – JUNE |
JULY – SEPT |
OCT – DEC |
TOTAL |
|
2006 |
73 |
62 |
1 |
No record kept |
|
The post holder with the role of specifically monitoring planning conditions and plans left the employment of the Council in October and as a result no specific records have been kept relating to complaints received. Interviews were held on 9 February 2007 to fill that post.
|
NUMBER OF GENERAL ENFORCEMENT NOTICE (EN) SERVED |
|||||
|
|
JAN – MAR |
APR – JUNE |
JULY – SEPT |
OCT – DEC |
TOTAL |
|
2002 |
6 |
11 |
5 |
4 |
26 |
|
2003 |
4 |
5 |
3 |
6 |
18 |
|
2004 |
5 |
2 |
6 |
1 |
14 |
|
2005 |
4 |
2 |
4 |
6 |
16 |
|
2006 |
16 |
6 |
1 |
1 |
24 |
|
NUMBER OF BREACH OF CONDITIONS NOTICES (BCN) SERVED |
|||||
|
|
JAN – MAR |
APR – JUNE |
JULY – SEPT |
OCT – DEC |
TOTAL |
|
2002 |
6 |
4 |
8 |
5 |
23 |
|
2003 |
9 |
23 |
19 |
2 |
53 |
|
2004 |
5 |
0 |
11 |
1 |
17 |
|
2005 |
3 |
8 |
11 |
12 |
34 |
|
2006 |
12 |
0 |
5 |
0 |
17 |
|
NUMBER OF PLANNING CONTRAVENTION NOTICES (PCN) SERVED |
|||||
|
|
JAN – MAR |
APR – JUNE |
JULY – SEPT |
OCT – DEC |
TOTAL |
|
2002 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
5 |
14 |
|
2003 |
3 |
1 |
3 |
8 |
15 |
|
2004 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
5 |
10 |
|
2005 |
13 |
5 |
3 |
9 |
30 |
|
2006 |
0 |
3 |
11 |
8 |
22 |
This
is a mechanism through which a LPA can obtain information relating to an
alleged breach of planning control. It is obviously an alternative to obtaining
information by letter or seeking to verify certain information if the source is
considered to be unreliable.
|
TEMPORARY STOP NOTICES |
|||||
|
|
JAN – MAR |
APR – JUNE |
JULY – SEPT |
OCT – DEC |
TOTAL |
|
2005 |
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
|
2006 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
In March 2005 powers came into force
amending the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 enabling the Local Planning
Authority to serve a Temporary Stop Notice against a breach of planning control
where it was considered necessary to safeguard the amenity of the area that the
use/activity should stop immediately. A notice can also be served where a
developer fails to comply with a planning condition.
The totals columns within the statistical sections outlined above give a year on year comparison. There appears to have been a drop in the number of general enforcement complaints received in 2006 compared to the previous year.
The number of Breach of Condition Notices and Planning Contravention Notices that have been issued has also fallen compared to the previous year.
Of greater concern which Members should be aware of is if these statistics are assessed on the financial year basis (April to March) which is the format in which we report figures back to the Government office and on which authorities are compared one against the other. With regards to planning Enforcement Notices and Breach of Condition Notices there is a clear trend showing a reduction in the number of notices issued. It is unlikely that the January to March period will show a significant reversal of this trend. Accordingly, there is a high likelihood that when the Government releases the comparative statistics on enforcement performance between authorities for the year 2006/7 that a significant drop in performance will be evident.
These signs reinforce the concerns previously highlighted following the reorganisation which involved the planning enforcement service that took place a year ago. This situation has been compounded by the loss of other staff within the team and inevitable delays in recruiting replacement personnel
The need to address the apparent short falls in the planning enforcement service has been recognised as an area that needs more attention by the new Head of Planning Service.
|
RECOMMENDATION That the report be noted. |
Contact Point : Steve Cornwell (West Area Team
Leader) ( 823552
e-mail: [email protected]
Paul
Stack (East Area Team Leader) ( 823552
e-mail: [email protected]
BILL MURPHY
Head of Planning Services