Almost all planning applications are being dealt with promptly in Brighton and Hove, according to new figures.
A review criticised the performance of the Planning Department at Brighton and Hove City Council but “figures for the last three months show performance has improved significantly”, the council said.
It said that close to 100 per cent of applications were now being determined in time or with the applicant agreeing to give the council more time.
The council said that a Modernisation Programme Board was set up by the council after a peer review carried out in March by the Planning Advisory Service (PAS).
Since then the council’s Planning Department has been trying to address the problems set out in the peer review report.
The council said that the improvements included
- a much faster processing of minor applications
- a new IT system to make it easier to register planning applications and manage performance
- ensuring the advice given to the development industry is timely and appropriate
- staff shortages have been tackled
Earlier Councillor Robert Nemeth spoke about “the dreadful image of the Planning Department in the eyes of public and industry”.
Councillor Julie Cattell, who chairs the council’s Planning Committee, said that she and some others had tears in their eyes when they were first given that tough feedback from the review.
She said that an enormous amount of work had been put into improving the planning service. She thanked the staff for their resilience and the way that they had kept up their morale while working overtime and weekends to clear the backlog.
Councillor Cattell, a professional planner by background, said that during the period when morale was particularly poor a number of experienced staff had left for better-paid jobs.
The council’s new executive director of economy, environment and culture Nick Hibberd said: “We acknowledged that performance wasn’t where we wanted it to be.”
He said that’s why the review was carried out, bringing in people who had a record of good performance.
Mr Hibberd said: “As a city we have a very ambitious growth agenda.”
The review had reflected back to us, he said, that sometimes there was a disconnect between that ambition and some of the work of the Planning Committee.
The council’s policy and major projects manager Andrew Ashcroft, who joined in April, said: “In terms of IT we have effectively gone from a Ford Model T to a Ford Mondeo.
“We can consult with statutory consultees at the touch of a button whereas in the past it was manual.”
Questions need to be asked about the atmosphere in Planning during the time that Ms Cattell (who had previously worked in the Council’s Planning dept) was working as an Agent. She bombarded the Planning Dept with calls and e-mails. It became a fraught situation.
Don’t believe all you are told. Planning is manipulating the figures by bullying architects and customers to “accept” decision delays. Everyone knows it is happening, no-one does anything about it. People are too frightened to speak out because of the punitive, marginalizing culture towards architects, planning consultants, project managers etc. who dare express disapproval at the dreadful service and stupidity from Planning. Express disapproval, don’t succumb to their bullying and you will be punished – they will sabotage your projects and therefore your business.