Somerset Council’s troubled planning service came under the spotlight this week as a motion calling for urgent recovery measures was debated at Full Council on Tuesday (24th September).
The Conservative-led motion, tabled by Burnham-On-Sea Councillor John Cook-Woodman (pictured) and seconded by Councillor Diogo Rodrigues, raised concerns over mounting delays, limited councillor engagement, and a backlog of enforcement cases that led to emergency measures being introduced in July.
Among the temporary changes were restrictions on councillor contact with planning officers, reduced site visits, and tighter limits on application amendments — all of which have drawn criticism from residents and parish councils.
Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Cook-Woodman said: “Planning is a vital service and must recover strongly for the sake of residents, developers, and our parish councils.” He called for a publicly available recovery plan with clear targets and improved transparency.
While Conservatives urged the Executive to act swiftly, Liberal Democrat councillors voted to refer the motion to the Climate and Place Scrutiny Committee, which is now set to debate the issue on 23rd October. Conservatives opposed the referral, citing concerns over delays, especially as the committee has been postponed twice in recent months.
Cllr Rodrigues added: “We argued against referral because this issue cannot be allowed to drift. The service is too important to be stuck in limbo.”
Despite reservations, Conservative councillors welcomed the opportunity for full scrutiny and pledged to push for meaningful reform. The motion also called for quarterly performance reports and a “good practice charter” to guide future planning operations.
The planning service, still grappling with incompatible IT systems three years after unitarisation, continues to face staff shortages and high workloads — with many enforcement cases unresolved.
The Climate and Place Scrutiny Committee is due to meet on 23rd October to consider the proposals.
