Rural villages near Shepton Mallet are facing delays over planning enforcement cases, with Somerset Council admitting there is a significant backlog.

Councillor Barry Clarke told a full council meeting in Bridgwater on Wednesday, 20 May, that councillors representing rural areas were being discouraged from reporting further issues.

He said this was because the cases "will not get dealt with".

Somerset Council said new planning breach reports are still being accepted through its website.

The authority also said three additional permanent members of staff had joined the planning enforcement service, with a business case being developed for further investment.

Planning enforcement teams investigate alleged breaches of planning control.

These can include unauthorised building work, unauthorised use of land or buildings, or breaches of planning permission.

The council has powers to take formal action, including fines or prosecution, where it considers that necessary.

Mr Clarke, one of two Conservative councillors for Mendip Central and East, said delays were affecting a string of rural communities.

His division includes villages between Frome, Midsomer Norton and Shepton Mallet.

He told councillors: "We have planning enforcement issues and delays in Wanstrow, Falkland, Mells, Leigh-on-Mendip, Buckland Dinham, Witham Friary and Coleford — that is half of our parishes.

"I am advised that under-resourcing and an over-stretched system will only add to further delays if we wish to follow up these problems or add new ones.

"The only advice received is not to send in any more enforcement issues as they will not get dealt with.

"That is a worry as I and the parishioners affected can only work with the system that the council provides.

"If the system is not fit for purpose currently, what action is being taken to repair it and when will it be ready?"

Somerset Council has struggled with planning enforcement since the creation of the unitary authority.

In January, its then-chief planning officer said the council was relying on agency staff employed by Lichfield District Council in Staffordshire.

Council leader Bill Revans said there was a "significant backlog" in enforcement cases, particularly in the former Mendip area.

Mr Revans, who represents North Petherton, said the service had faced "many challenges" replacing two permanent members of staff who left when the current council was created.

He told the meeting: "We have already been dedicating agency staff to this area, and following recent recruitment three additional permanent members of staff have joined the service.

"It is acknowledged that the enforcement team is not of a sufficient size to accommodate the current scale of complaints being raised, and a business case is being progressed for further investment to expand the team to ensure it can respond as it should to breaches of planning control.

"This includes an agency contingency to reduce the backlog. New enforcement breaches are still being accepted, through the 'report a breach of planning' form on our website is the way to report them.

"The team is not accepting new reports of planning breaches direct to its inbox; this delays the process of setting them up and does not provide the full detail which a completed form does.

"Please signpost your parishes in that direction. This will increase the efficiency of setting up new cases, releasing limited capacity to enable them to investigate and action any of the backlog."

Residents can report alleged planning breaches through the planning enforcement section of the Somerset Council website.

Mr Revans said he and other councillors had been briefed on the business case for increasing enforcement capacity.

He said the extra capacity would be funded through the council's existing budget.

No date was given for when the business case could be signed off by officers or the strategic planning committee.

Mr Revans added: "The business case acknowledges that changes will come from the Planning and Infrastructure Act which should be able to increase the income of the enforcement service."

Original reporting: Daniel Mumby/LDRS

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