Lack of inspectors means London council unable to police planning applications

Greenwich council in south London has acknowledged its inability to oversee planning applications due to a lack of funding for inspectors. 

This revelation comes after controversy arose over the retroactive approval of a homeless hostel in a prime residential area.

Last year, the council granted retrospective permission to convert a two-storey building into 26 studio flats to accommodate vulnerable adults and children. 

Despite objections, the council justified its decision by emphasising the need to provide housing for local homeless individuals, particularly women and single mothers.

However, the council has admitted it cannot fulfill the agreement made with the developer to house Greenwich's homeless population. 

This has led to concerns among residents, who observed an unexpected influx of mainly single men occupying the property, despite assurances of strict control over occupancy.

Residents feel left in the dark, as the council struggles to manage the situation. While the council emphasises its commitment to safe and affordable housing, it acknowledges its financial constraints in conducting development inspections post-planning permission.

As a result, the council relies on reports from the public to identify breaches in planning permissions. 

The planning enforcement team is currently investigating the situation to determine if the property's use deviates from the approved permissions.

Recent research conducted by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) has unveiled significant challenges facing planning authorities due to a £364 million reduction in annual local authority spending on planning. 

These challenges manifest in issues related to resourcing, skills, and performance.

The study highlights that nearly 90% of local authorities are grappling with a backlog of planning enforcement cases, indicating widespread strain on the system. 

The root of many challenges appears to lie in inadequate funding, with a 43% decrease in net expenditure on planning by local authorities, plummeting from £844 million in 2009/10 to £480 million in 2020/21.

Recruitment struggles exacerbate the situation, with 70% of surveyed local authorities facing difficulties in hiring enforcement officers over the past five years. Moreover, 80% of respondents lamented the shortage of officers to handle the workload effectively. 

Delays from the Planning Inspectorate further compound the challenges, with 71% of respondents citing negative impacts on service delivery.

These pressures have significantly undermined compliance efforts, as only 46% of respondents indicated that their local authorities possess the capacity to monitor compliance post-enforcement action successfully. The RTPI underscores that these struggles also have broader implications, particularly as the government contemplates introducing additional responsibilities such as Biodiversity Net Gain policies.

Almost unanimously, those surveyed (96%) expressed the need for increased funding, advocating for a centralised government fund to support direct action initiatives. 

In light of these findings, the RTPI questions the effectiveness of proposed enforcement powers outlined in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, including time limits, temporary stop notices, and development progress reports, as solutions for aiding councils in managing breaches effectively.