Latest government data reveals Southend-on-Sea Borough Council to be in top 5% of councils in England for determining planning applications.
The past 12 months have been an extremely busy and challenging period for the Planning and Building Control Service and their performance in determining planning applications, as measured by central government, places the council 14th out of over 300 councils.
During the last financial year, the service has also handled several major projects including the Seaways leisure scheme, the Better Queensway regeneration project and is currently dealing with the Southend United FC planning applications.
Significant work has also been carried out to progress the new Southend Local Plan, which will go out on public consultation at the end of August for eight weeks. The new Local Plan is required by law to identify land for new housing, jobs, local services and supporting infrastructure to meet the needs of the Borough and meet national housing targets. The consultation document being published in the Summer discusses the key issues and options the Plan will need to look at.
The council has also adopted a Recreational Disturbance Avoidance and Mitigation Strategy (RAMS), to generate funds to protect the internationally important ecological assets on our coastline, and the Cabinet have decided to designate a new conservation area for part of Hamlet Court Road as a result of the work undertaken by the service.
Following a dispute with Weston Homes over the financial contribution due to the council for the provision of affordable housing from a site developed in Sutton Road, a formal arbitration process awarded the council a sum in excess of £600,000.
Cllr Carole Mulroney, cabinet member for environment, culture, tourism and planning, said: “Collectively the work of the Planning and Building Control service makes a significant difference to the quality of life of people in Southend, helping to facilitate new homes, jobs and investment in the area which reflects in multiple areas where our work contributes to outcomes in the Southend 2050 Vision. Our performance looked at nationally is a great reflection of what the service achieves. Planning applications rose significantly throughout the COVID-19 pandemic which makes this achievement even more hard won.
“I am delighted to see we have ranked so highly for this service, which is increasingly difficult to deliver within resource constraints and the pressure from central Government to deliver housing targets, yet the team continue to deliver the service efficiently and effectively.”
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