Purpose

This will provide a clear and focused approach to addressing our outstanding condition
discharge applications, which without timely decisions can result in developments stalling
because they do not have the necessary approvals in place to commence. Staff are busy with
high volumes of planning applications meaning that often discharge of planning conditions can
stall. Removing these application types from officer’s daily workloads will also therefore enable
them to focus on making planning decisions in the immediate term.

Associated with this immediate work, the funding will enable a dedicated resource to review our
standard planning conditions in terms of both content, requirements, how they are utilised longer
term and how they might be effectively monitored. This has been a scheduled project for the
Development Manager in conjunction with the Team Leaders for some time but is a substantial
piece of work that has stalled due to various other workstreams needing to take priority. This
funding therefore provides a one off opportunity to drive it forward for the longer term benefit of
our working practices, in addition to having the immediate effect of unblocking developments
that might otherwise be stalled in the system.

This will be done via the temporary employment of 1 x agency planning officer for an initial 6
month period, with scope to extend as the work progresses.

Decision

To accept £92,340.78 from MHCLG under the Development Management Fund to deal with outstanding condition discharges and the wider service improvement work in this respect, and to
commit to have proposals in place for the spend before 31 March 2026.

Alternative options considered

Not to accept the external funding awarded to numerous Local Planning Authorities in England to deal with the recognised concern – REJECTED.