Planning office revamp plans moving forward
WORK to improve planning department services at West Lancashire Borough Council is making good progress, councillors on a scrutiny committee have said.
In addition, new staff posts are being created to address a general shortage of planning officers and the departure of some senior staff at West Lancashire in recent times.
Councillors on the borough’s Executive Overview & Scrutiny Committee, which monitor the cabinet’s work including reports and recommendations from council officers and departments, have accepted an update from the planning department.
A major review of planning services began last year. It aims to improve services and information for households, business and councillors.
Examples include offering better help to people before they formally submit a planning application, improving business support, dealing with complaints, developing on-line ‘self-service’ options and dealing with enforcement problems.
Heidi McDougall, the borough’s Corporate Director of Place and Community, gave an update on the review, which is being done by planning staff and an outside consultancy firm called Red Quadrant.
Eighty recommendations had previously been identified for action and subdivided into smaller tasks.
She said: “We have progressed and are moving forward.
“We have completed over 30 per cent of the recommendations, which is quite an achievement because we only started this in October.
“We have tried to bring extra resources to support and accelerate the work. However, we have struggled to recruit so we will have to keep reviewing target dates because of our capacity.”
Proposed changes include developing an internal booking system for councillors to meet planning officers for guidance, she said. Some councillors had hoped for an online booking system but current recommendation is for them to contact planning officers by email or phone.
Ms McDougall added: “We are planning to implement service standards with legal services and to streamline applications and enforcement.
“We would like to suggest another update report be given on the other side of the summer, so we can progress things.”
Labour Coun Paul O’Neil said: “Reading through the report, this is just what we asked for.
“It’s very clear on what we are doing. I’m very happy with the report.”
Conservative Coun Edward Pope said: “I can see progress, particularly on the operational planning side.
“Planning is very much on the public’s agenda.
“It probably involves more grief than anything else the council does.”
But he added: “I am a bit concerned that the planning department has lost quite a lot of senior people. Who will lead the department’s work, which has quite a wide remit. Will councillors have the opportunity to see the senior post remits?”
M s McDougall said: “I am t h e [review] project sponsor and am responsible for all the recommendations and leading the review task group. The group has planning staff along with other officers from other departments, such as legal services.
“It includes the head of planning services and the development control service manager. This work is about management of the planning department not strategy,
“We recognised early-on the pressure that the planning team is under, which is why we brought in consultants. These vacant job roles are to be replaced within the current structure.
“There will be the equivalent capacity and two additional posts are being created. “
Coun Pope said: “I realise there will be two extra posts for day-tod a y enforcement and you will be leading the task group but not planning dayto-day?
“Regarding staff remits, will councillors see the outcome of that review?
“Can we request that this comes to the Executive Overview & Scrutiny Committee?”
Our West Lancashire Coun Adrian
Owens, who is also the committee chairman, said he had asked a similar question recently and been told councillors would have a say in that. However he added: “We can request this but I think it will be driven by budget resources.”
Regarding Coun Pope’s question, Ms McDougall replied: “I can reassure councillors that there will be exactly the same capacity as previously plus two extra posts.
“So there is no need for the [planning department] structure to come to the overview committee.
“There is no need to review it, although it is within your rights. But if you wanted to scrutinise, this will delay getting people into the posts. I can’t recruit until it has been approved.”
Labour Coun Carl Coughlin said: “This is being handled through delegated authority. I think it’s important to make progress.
“Sometimes change can be liberating and can bring in new ideas. It’s not always a bad thing. I agree with Heidi.
“I think further scrutiny could delay the process.”
Conservative Coun David Westley said: “It’s pleasing to see that progress is being made. Planning is not being restructured. We’ve had assurances from Heidi. I think we should get on without delay.”