'Very low' morale within planning department as string of issues highlighted during peer review at West Northamptoshire Council

West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) does not have an “overall picture” of developers’ contributions worth millions of pounds and communities could be missing out, a report found.

WNC’s planning service was visited by experienced councillors and experts for a peer review in November who found “very low” morale among most officers they met.

They found WNC inherited complex and “in some cases poorly documented” developer agreements from its predecessor councils when it was established in 2021. As a result, it “does not have a consistent, clear way of reporting developer contributions or chasing amounts due”.

That could impact on developments and delivering infrastructure in them such as roads, parks and schools. Work to move all applications onto a single WNC website is expected to be completed in the summer.

The review found the planning service’s performance was “not strong”, was deteriorating and that a backlog of undetermined applications was rising. Since the report was received by the authority in December, WNC’s assistant director for planning and development, Stephanie Gibrat, has started work and a restructure has begun.

The peers also found town and parish councils were “incandescent” with the service. It found some were “extremely angry with a perceived lack of transparency and unwillingness to engage”. Some of WNC’s own councillors spoke of a “lack of customer focus and poor communications” from parts of the service.

Though they found “some strong working relationships” between officers and councillors, and that WNC appeared to be “open, honest and self-aware”, the review also found “worrying culture and practice” at a planning committee. One instance was reported to WNC’s monitoring officer.

There was “very strong buy-in” from WNC’s senior councillors and officers “for significant improvements” in the planning service. But the experts also found there was “no sense of ownership for its delivery” and there was a “disconnect and lack of visibility” between those leaders and more junior colleagues.

Coun Rebecca Breese, WNC’s cabinet member for strategic planning, built environment and rural affairs, said: “We welcome the report from the planning peer review. As part of this work, and our planned delivery of a restructured service, we look forward to providing a new fit for purpose system for our residents and service users.”

The peer review was organised by the Local Government Association and its Planning Advisory Service. Peers included Conservative councillor Philip Broadhead, who has since become the leader of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council. The Labour peer, Coun Bryony Rudkin, is currently the deputy leader of Ipswich Borough Council.

WNC’s cabinet will discuss the review at a meeting on Tuesday, April 11.