A backlog of planning applications and enforcement cases at the Lake District National Park Authority looks set to mean further delays this autumn.
Applicants have been left waiting on permission for development, while complainants reporting enforcement cases face a longer wait for action to be taken against rogue developments.
The authority has struggled to deliver to nationally set targets because of a backlog which began in the pandemic and has again put the service into the “red” which means it is not expected to be fully delivered to plan during 2022-23. The situation has been exacerbated by a shortage of staff.
The authority’s development control section handles and advises on planning applications in the Lake District.
It also investigates enforcement cases when developments are built against the rules or there are breaches of planning permission.
National park members gathering for a meeting of its resources committee this week were told that performance against national indicators remained “short of requirements and ambition,” although there had been “visible improvement”.
The report said: “Service management are working with team members with the aim to bring speed of decision on applications back on track by quarter three. Compliance focus remains on investigation and formal action. In-depth pre-application advice options remain largely suspended.”
There are around 120 planning applications which have been validated by the national park but have yet to be allocated to a planning officer – which means a wait for applicants and agents.
The report said: “This represents a significant improvement since January, when over 250 were unallocated, however it is still far higher than is desirable. Speed of decision on applications remains below target, but again is much improved on the position in early 2022.”
It also has around 600 compliance cases to look into – four times its target level.
“We have brought in contract support to increase compliance capacity and continue to investigate staffing options. Our focus remains upon prompt initial visits to ascertain facts and the issue of formal (enforcement) notices.”
In 2021, the national park received 900 planning applications and 93 per cent were granted permission.
