Sta Albans: The planning department at St Albans District Council is among the slowest in the country, according to new government figures.
A report published by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) shows that in the year ending March 2002, the council processed just 41.6 per cent of applications within the recommended eight weeks. The Government target is 80 per cent.
The figures place St Albans in 292nd position out of 293 planning authorities in England according to the ODPM, which also recognises that the department is among the busiest in the country.
Officers dealt with a staggering 2,231 applications between 2001 and March 2002, more than Milton Keynes, Luton or York.
Nobody from the council's planning department was available to comment on the figures, but a council spokesman defended its performance. She said: "The problems stem from a difficulty in recruiting staff and the sheer volume of applications received by the planners.
"We are improving and in the first quarter of this year we decided 47 per cent of planning applications."
July 11, 2002 10:30
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article