Agenda item

The Principal Enforcement Planner presented the report which provides a summary of the work carried out over the last quarter (April-June 2024).  It was noted that in the last quarter two enforcement notices have been issued and these were explained to the committee and photographs displayed..  Both of these cases now have appeals pending.

We now have a full compliment of monitoring and enforcement staff and are now able to address the backlog of enquiries (that is, reports of potential breaches). 138 enquiries have been investigated in the last quarter and the number of outstanding enquiries reduced.  Conversely due to investigating more enquiries the number of breaches that have been found has increased and in this quarter 48 new breaches have been created. 

An additional temporary two year contract post has been created to focus on the backlog of Listed Building cases and so far 20 satellite dishes have either been removed,  applications have been submitted and other satellite dishes have been re-located. 

A review of the Local Enforcement Plan (LEP) has been recently undertaken. The original LEP was published in 2014 and updated in 2018.  The main adjustments were outlined to the committee.  The document has been reduced in length and includes more links within the plan to information available elsewhere.  The plan sets out the priorities for 2024/25 which are:

1)    To continue to reduce the backlog of casework

2)    To review and update the internal processes and procedures and implement a more robust case management system

3)    Formulating additional performance measures/targets

One improvement recently implemented is that the on-line form is now available and to submit enquiries.  This form provides officers with a standard level of information and provides the public with an interactive map to indicate the precise location of the enquiry.

There is a section in the LEP regarding voluntary compliance and explains the method of submitting a retrospective application. Section 7 of the LEP explains the priorities of the Authority which were previously labelled “High/Medium/Low” and these have now been replaced with “urgent matters” and “other matters” prioritising those causing significant harm, the impact of the breach and the need to prevent further harm.

The Officer was thanked for his report and the work carried out on the revised Local Enforcement Plan.

Members requested that they receive a list of all enforcement cases that are being dealt with and this to go to the Chair and Vice-Chair. The value and content of the reports was recognised and more information on the backlog of cases and the difficulties in dealing with them was requested by the October planning committee.

RESOLVED

1.    That the summary of activity be noted.

2.    That the committee approved the revised and updated Local Enforcement Plan, as set out  in the appendix of the report, subject to minor amendments being delegated to the Head of Planning, in consultation with the Chair and Vice-Chair of Planning Committee.