Waverley Threatened with Loss of Planning Powers

Waverley, along with two other Surrey councils (Guildford & Epsom and Ewell), has received a stern warning regarding the inadequacy of their planning departments. These councils are at risk of having their decision-making authority revoked, following criticism from Housing Secretary Michael Gove. In personalized letters, Gove expressed his concerns about the below threshold performance and the "very poor" quality of service provided by these councils, which the housing department deemed significantly below the expected standards.

In order to maintain efficiency and adhere to regulations, councils are required to reach decisions on a minimum of 70 percent of non-major planning applications within an eight-week timeframe. However, the three Surrey councils mentioned have significantly fallen short of this target, according to the department. Consequently, Housing Secretary Michael Gove has expressed his inclination to designate these councils, which would allow developers to circumvent them entirely and instead submit planning applications directly to the Planning Inspectorate.

This move would essentially undermine the authority of Waverley in influencing planning decisions. The letter, addressed to all three Surrey councils, which are among a group of 10 nationwide receiving a final warning, states: “The Government is clear that having an efficient and effective planning service at local authority level is essential to delivering the homes, building and investment the country needs".

“The planning performance regime was introduced to ensure that all local planning authorities contribute to this objective. I have significant concerns about the performance of a handful of local authorities including your council.”

In response to the situation, Mr. Gove has directed the Planning Inspectorate to make arrangements for potential designations during the upcoming summer months. However, he has given the councils until June to demonstrate the necessary improvements in their planning service, urging them to surpass the performance thresholds and maintain consistent progress. Mr. Gove emphasized that if the standards were to decline once again, he would not hesitate to exercise his authority to designate the respective council later this year.

A spokesperson for Waverley Borough Council acknowledged that the decline in planning performance during 2021 and early 2022 was primarily attributed to the impact of the pandemic. They highlighted various factors such as 'teething issues' encountered with a new planning IT system, a surge in applications following the lifting of lockdown restrictions, and a nationwide shortage of planning officers. However, the spokesperson affirmed that there has been a notable improvement in planning performance since then, with substantial progress made in reducing the backlog of applications. Nevertheless, they acknowledged that the workload for their officers remains persistently high, and staffing continues to pose a significant challenge.

Consevative MP Angela Richardson has described the situation as a “planning shambles” and has called on the Guildford & Waverley councils, now solely Lib Dem-controlled, to sharpen up its act on planning.

All of the letters sent by the Secretary of State to the 10 councils at risk of designation can be found here.