Proposals to “transform the planning service” will be discussed by councillors.
Lichfield District Council says new proposals would create a robust standard for householders and reduce wasted processes and delays.
A report by Cllr Alex Farrell, cabinet member for housing and the Local Plan, said the changes would also support major developments.
“These high level proposals to transform the planning service, with the aim of creating the best planning service in the country.
“They would offer non-major and householder applicants a robust standard service and offer householder and simple applications a fast-track service to meet their project timescales, significantly faster than the service has been able to in recent years.
“They would also provide a welcoming ‘open for business’ offer to developers of major sites with effective collaboration to help shape applications for the benefit of our community, attracting new investment, innovation and the right mix of housing and new employment opportunities to the district, as articulated in the local plan.”
Report to Lichfield District Council’s cabinet
The report says that Lichfield District Council currently has 43% of planning applications requiring time extensions, compared to the national average of 42%. The best-performing local authority in the country has a figure of just 6.7%.
The proposals would see changes to how the service is structured locally.
“To enable us to achieve our ambition of being the best planning service in the country we are proposing to implement several operational changes including a series of new or amended discretionary fees and charges, subject to legal advice, that are projected to generate additional income for reinvestment in the service.
“In addition, a national increase to statutory fees is set to be approved by Parliament in April 2024 and is projected to generate further income for the planning service.
“The proposals will also explore structural changes to the service to ensure the right resource is deployed where most required.”
Report to Lichfield District Council’s cabinet
The changes will be discussed at a cabinet meeting on 5th September.
