Planning application delays

[ATTAK Z]

ColinM50 said:

Busa mav said:

Just got an email from the local council saying the 2 applications I submitted last week will be subject to a 25 day delay due to workload !

So what do you expect your councillors to do? Our council are now discussing holding planning meetings weekly to meet the demand. How much time do you think us UNPAID councillors should give up?

I expect you to "give up' just as much time as is necessary to do what you have been elected to do ... I also expect you to take advice from your (well paid) officers ... I also expect you to write with good grammar, spelling and punctuation, even on a social media site such as this ...

just my opinion

[RichieSlow]

ATTAK Z said:

I expect you to "give up' just as much time as is necessary to do what you have been elected to do ... I also expect you to take advice from your (well paid) officers ... I also expect you to write with good grammar, spelling and punctuation, even on a social media site such as this ...

just my opinion

Sounds a bit harsh, but not totally unjustified ^^^

[Renovation]

ColinM50 said:

So what do you expect your councillors to do? Our council are now discussing holding planning meetings weekly to meet the demand. How much time do you think us UNPAID councillors should give up?

Whatever is necessary.

It's not really unpaid though is it ? IIRC there are significant expense claims and plenty of fringe benefits / bungs - if not then why are there so many people wanting to do it ?

I'd suggest the default position ought to be, to grant Applications that meet the planning criteria and doesn't have public complaints against them - that would have meant my application was granted first time rather than after 3 Applications.

I'd also suggest that to be on the Planning Committee a working knowledge of Planning Guidance and the system was a requirement BEFORE being allowed upon it - that would speed up meetings no end.

I had to endure a meeting where the merits of vermin (rabbits and foxes) on the site was discussed.

[Hub]

ColinM50 said:

So what do you expect your councillors to do? Our council are now discussing holding planning meetings weekly to meet the demand. How much time do you think us UNPAID councillors should give up?

It sounds like your council are sending too many applications to the committee!

[worsy]

In my local area there is lots of discussion about the fact elected councillors should be deciding planning apps and not paid planning officials. The problem is the fact most applications are fairly benign and apart from NIMBY objections are reasonable. There is a mechanism in place for the referral of contentious schemes to the elected planning commitee but this doesn't seem to work. I think a lot of councils, especially those without a Development Plan are scared of the potential costs for appeals.

[Busa mav]

ColinM50 said:

Busa mav said:

Just got an email from the local council saying the 2 applications I submitted last week will be subject to a 25 day delay due to workload !

So what do you expect your councillors to do? Our council are now discussing holding planning meetings weekly to meet the demand. How much time do you think us UNPAID councillors should give up?

Not sure why you are coming across as aggressive towards my post or any others of mine on this subject.

I was merely trying to advise people that there is a delay across the country in processing applications due to the high number of applications ,not once have I slagged a council off , just said that one was remarkably better than others I deal with , and at present I submit to about 8 of them, but, as the keyboard is your choice of weapon....

Firstly , you lot , the councillors who sit their self righteous, know nothing about planning, pompous arses on these committees for the sake of looking good in the community do not see the majority of the householder applications.

These are dealt with by the planning officer under their delegated powers thank god, you lot never see them or have chance to try and understand the drawings.

When something does get to committee , its normally because one of you lot have "called it in" to show your power to your mates and the neighbours who you are no doubt " looking after ". Even then , you should be guided by the planning officers report and recommendation , and if you don't , you will lose at appeal most times, because they are the ones dealing with it with planning knowledge and not just voting along with their mates of the same political persuasion as is normally the case. bks to what's good for the community, stick together brothers.

I fear for you as you aren't going to last the term given the amount of bleating you are doing already, wtf did you stand ?

I just hope you are going to be better than the local councillor we have just got rid of, I doubt it ,and she was truly useless , but she never bleated once about being unpaid, she had no planning knowledge either.

Is that a better response ? How it really is with you self righteous fukkers ?

Edited by Busa mav on Wednesday 8th July 10:16

[ATTAK Z]

It's gone quiet

[oldbanger]

Well, this escalated quickly!

I am not sure if emails aren't getting through, the planners are overwhelmed or my builder is dicking around. I guess I'll work it out eventually though, so I'll just leave you guys to it.

[blueg33]

ColinM50 said:

OK, I'll stick my head above the parapet. For my sins I was elected a Town Councillor in the May elections and am on my Town's planning committee and I have to question what you all expect to happen in just a few weeks? Our council had a full meeting late May and then established the various committees in early June. We've had just one Planning meeting since, the next is later this week and we've got 48 applications to consider. We're all new to this and have had to spend our own time finding out the correct processes.

Please bear in mind that we all do this work UNPAID with most of us holding down jobs too. To then see comments like "useless t8ssers" and "waste of space", really makes my blood boil. We do our best but we can't just drop everything to deal with your application. And if you saw some of the applications it'd make you cry. One we have is literally on the back of a corn flakes box and the applicant says, "I want to convert my garage like what xxx the bloke next doors done I'll copy his work".

So go on all you experts, what should we say to him?

I chose to go on the Planning committee because I want to try to make sure my town develops in a sensible manner, but it does take time to get it right. We're more keen to get it right than do it quickly.

Firstly, well done for volunteering, but now I am going to speak my mind.

I have been in planning and development for 30 years and I am afraid that your comments show up a poorly managed planning departments and a lack of knowledge of planning in general.

There is a timescale set out in law within which Councils have to determine applications, as a developer I don't care how many you are doing, I care that you comply with the law. It currently costs me £100k to get an application to committee by the time I have paid for all the surveys, fees, architects etc that are required. Every month of delay costs another £10k approx. It is not right that my business should be affected because a planning department cannot operate within the timescales laid down by law. As a Planning Committee member you would take a dim view of developers ignoring planning law, so why should we accept a Council doing the same?

I will give you an example from March this year. Application for home for disabled adults recommended for approval, no objections, after 13 weeks Council writes and asks for an extra month, we agree, at Committee (a month late), the application is deferred because members haven't read the papers. As a result, I had to extend the land contract £15k, pay interest on the pre development costs £5k, pay solicitors to extent an agreement for lease, the land contract the forward funding agreement, the nominations agreement. £25k. The 2 month delay means that 16 vulnerable people now have to stay I substandard accommodation for an extra 2 months, the Council has to pay to additional care and relocations costs because their accommodation will not be available. The application was approved 2 months late, with 2 minutes debate.

If the committee are getting applications that are incomplete then your officers are at fault and the chair needs to discuss that with the Head of Planning

Planning Committee members should be required to understand the law and planning (some members do), I have seen so many asinine refusals that are overturned easily at appeal that it makes my blood boil, a total waste of public resources, a block on development, an impact on economic growth.

And then you get to the political grandstanding that goes on, what a load of bks, just do your job. Does the application comply with policy? Yes, approve it, No, refuse it. Do not spend an hour debating whether 16 apartments need 18 parking spaces or 20 (you have a policy on that), do not spend 30 minutes debating whether the access is safe (your officers who are experts have demonstrated that it is), do not make political points by refusing upmarket houses in an expensive area but allowing cheap ones next door, I could go on.

Development Control is a huge responsibility, it should be fair and unbiased, it should act within the law and make timely decisions based on policy and fact not heresay and politics. If that is not happening, then you are letting down the public and the development industry, you are costing the economy even in some cases causing people to lose their jobs or livelihoods.

If you can't cope, sort it out. Developers pay huge amounts for applications, pre application meetings, clearing conditions etc. Don't take the piss.

ps. Some councils are great, they do planning well and timely, the approve the good applications, the refuse the bad. Their frameworks are the same, the law is the same, the fees are similar. There is no excuse for the ones that fail.

Rant over

[ColinM50]

I'm not going to reply to any more of this insulting thread. I know this is an internet forum and folk can make up whatever stories they like, but to see what some of you have written is insulting and shows a distinct level of stupidity not worthy of reply.

[RichieSlow]

ColinM50 said:

I'm not going to reply to any more of this insulting thread. I know this is an internet forum and folk can make up whatever stories they like, but to see what some of you have written is insulting and shows a distinct level of stupidity not worthy of reply.

That's a shame. The way I read it (and see it) people are suggesting that it is the system that fails them. You've been applauded for volunteering

[Renovation]

ColinM50 said:

I'm not going to reply to any more of this insulting thread. I know this is an internet forum and folk can make up whatever stories they like, but to see what some of you have written is insulting and shows a distinct level of stupidity not worthy of reply.

I'm sorry but it shows that we have experienced the Planning System for many years (over 25 in my case) and that you are inexperienced and yet don't believe what we are saying - this is entirely the problem and why the system is such a poor state.

[blueg33]

ColinM50 said:

I'm not going to reply to any more of this insulting thread. I know this is an internet forum and folk can make up whatever stories they like, but to see what some of you have written is insulting and shows a distinct level of stupidity not worthy of reply.

Many posts are not insulting but are demonstrating the implications of a criap planning system where politicians with little or no knowledge weild a disproportionate amount of power.

Plus you expect people to put stuff o. Hold whilst you get your collective asses together and ride roughshod over planning legislation.

To come on here and complain is s nonsense.

Then to run and hide when the impact is set out is pathetic and telling in equal measure.

Ps. I would love to know which council is holding weekly committee meetings.

[Busa mav]

blueg33 said:

Ps. I would love to know which council is holding weekly committee meetings.

Probably one close to the seaside so the committee can get their day out on the bus with their mates doing "site visits".

[blueg33]

Busa mav said:

blueg33 said:

Ps. I would love to know which council is holding weekly committee meetings.

Probably one close to the seaside so the committee can get their day out on the bus with their mates doing "site visits".

I thought I was cynical about planning, but I have to say your cynicism exceeds even mine!

Mine started with my very first planning committee meeting as a junior land buyer in the Cotswolds.

Every application for development apart from mine was recommended for refusal. The committee rubber stamped each refusal with no debate, when it came to mine a member stood and said "I can't believe that our officers have let us down by recommending a new homes development for approval, I move that it be refused"

This was immediately seconded and the vote for refusal was unanimous. Appeal with costs was most satisfying.

[blueg33]

Busa mav said:

blueg33 said:

Ps. I would love to know which council is holding weekly committee meetings.

Probably one close to the seaside so the committee can get their day out on the bus with their mates doing "site visits".

Colin is a Councillor at St Neots Town Council, they do not have weekly Planning Committee meetings, their meeting schedule is published and the meetings not weekly. In July they have 3 meetings, 2 in August and 2 in September. In May and June they only held 1 planning committee meeting in each of the months.

Tomorrows agenda for the planning committee has 11 items on it, all but one a tiny householder applications that could have been dealt with under delegated powers. Potentially you could argue that 3 could have good reason to go to committee.

Even so, the 11 are so simple they wont take long to debate.

nb(I didn't think any Council held meetings weekly weekly, Colin's certainly doesn't.)

Edited by blueg33 on Wednesday 8th July 16:57

[Andehh]

Has to be said blueg33, i always find your posts in here so interesting. Keep it up!

[ATTAK Z]

ColinM50 said:

I'm not going to reply to any more of this insulting thread. I know this is an internet forum and folk can make up whatever stories they like, but to see what some of you have written is insulting and shows a distinct level of stupidity not worthy of reply.

Poor show !

[blueg33]

Andehh said:

Has to be said blueg33, i always find your posts in here so interesting. Keep it up!

Despite my terrible typos?

Thanks

[WindyMills]

RichieSlow said:

ColinM50 said:

I'm not going to reply to any more of this insulting thread. I know this is an internet forum and folk can make up whatever stories they like, but to see what some of you have written is insulting and shows a distinct level of stupidity not worthy of reply.

That's a shame. The way I read it (and see it) people are suggesting that it is the system that fails them. You've been applauded for volunteering

That's the way I read it too. Sure there are one or two with an interest in a building firm who always "strikes lucky", but that is the exception.