Cheshire East's planning department is under such pressure because of nationwide recruitment problems that some staff are off sick and one new starter left after six weeks to join the private sector.

Members of the council's environment and communities committee were told a resourcing review is already under way and, at Thursday's meeting, new executive director of place Jayne Traverse offered to do a full review of the system.

An advisory group of members has been set up to feed into that.

The council's head of development management, David Malcolm, told the committee the problem was the increase in workload and lack of staff.

"The challenge at the moment is just literally the workload and the ability to recruit and retain in a market, at the moment, that is very challenging for recruiting experienced planning staff," said Mr Malcolm.

He said the number of planning applications had increased by 15 per cent and, at the same time, the department was struggling with resources.

"That sheer challenge for some staff has caused some bouts of sickness as well, so it all creates its own challenges," said the planning boss.

He said even when staff were hired there was an issue of keeping them.

"We recruited a new planning assistant a couple of months ago, they've now left to go to join the private sector, so they were barely here six weeks and that's what we're dealing with in terms of it's not just the public sector and local authorities, there's a demand out there in the private sector," he said.

Paul Bayley, the council's director of environment and neighbourhood services, assured the committee the work was being done.

"In the first half of this year the council determined 95 per cent of major applications within the agreed time and 83 per cent of non-major applications," said Mr Bayley.

This figure includes those where applicants had agreed to extend the time limit.

"In the last 12 months, 13 appeals have been submitted to the planning inspectorate on the basis of non-determination within the agreed time.

"That's in the context of 5,060 planning applications being determined by the council over the same period," he said, adding three appeals were upheld by the planning inspector.

Cllr Les Gilbert (Dane Valley, Con) suggested a member satisfaction survey to invite all councillors to identify 'specific horror stories' in their ward.

Cllr Tony Dean (Knutsford, Con) who placed an item on Thursday's agenda calling for an immediate review of the planning systems, said: "Since my item was added to the agenda, and reported on in the local press, I have been literally inundated with phone calls and emails from all kinds of people – planners, ex-planners, planning consultants, individuals, and I've been sent acres of emails of examples so I didn't know I touched on such a raw spot."

He said the council must 'go the extra mile' to deal with issues, including staff shortages.

"Temporary funding, should it be needed,  shouldn't be a constraint given the £10m carry over from last year," said Cllr Dean.

Mr Dean had previously said 'Covid was no longer excuse for department failure' as complaints were revealed to be up a third.

Please click here to read that article.

We asked Congleton Nub News readers how long they have been waiting for planning permission. 13 have responded.

One said: "Ours went in on the 23rd August and yet to hear. Our target date was the 18th October.

"I wouldn't mind so much, but our extension actually falls under permitted development but Cheshire East have stopped PD applications 'due to Covid' so have had to go for full planning. That's why the numbers will be so much higher."

Another added: "We applied on the 24th August. Still waiting for the application to even be assigned to a case officer."

The longest wait revealed had been eight months, with still no outcome.

A search for 'Congleton' on the Cheshire East planning website generates 20,000 results, though, this does include roads named after our town in Macclesfield and Alderley Edge, and also contains archived or approved applications.

You can view and comment on any Congleton on Cheshire East planning application here.

If you want to get a job in their planning department, please click here to see the unitary authorities' current vacancies.

See also: 178 more Congleton homes recommended for approval despite ecology threat.

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