Case Ref: 24 012 234 Category: Planning Sub Category: Enforcement

• The Council agreed to provide a suitable briefing or training to its planning staff on the Council’s complaints process, including how complaints should be recorded and responded to, and the relevant timescales.
• The Council agreed to develop a written action plan, with measurable outcomes and timescales, to address its backlog of planning enforcement complaints.

Case Ref: 23 009 330 Category: Planning Sub Category: Enforcement

• The Council should review its guidance and produce a briefing note for officers to reflect the need to consider the implications of under-enforcement of planning conditions and the Council’s long-term ability to control development as it intended when it originally imposed those conditions.

Case Ref: 20 012 746 Category: Environment and regulation Sub Category: Antisocial behaviour

• the Council has also agreed to make the following service improvement: review its ASB Policy and guidance to staff to include clear directions to staff on how its environmental health team and tenant services team will work together in ASB and noise nuisance cases against Council tenants and leaseholders. This should include clear information on when one team needs to take the lead role and when a single point of contact should be established.
• The Council has also agreed to make the following service improvement: issue a reminder to officers of when they should draw up an Action Plan when they receive complaints about ASB by Council tenants and leaseholders
• the Council has also agreed to make the following service improvement: remind officers who investigate complaints at the final stage of the complaints procedure that complainants who are not Council tenants or leaseholders cannot complain to the Housing Ombudsman Service. If they are complaining about the Council’s use of its ASB powers, we may be able to investigate.