Somerset Council launches emergency measures to clear planning backlog

Somerset Council launches emergency measures to clear planning backlog

Somerset Council is implementing emergency measures to its planning system in a bid to bring down an enormous backlog of decisions.

Emergency measures to be taken to clear Somerset's planning applications backlog

Somerset Council has announced a sweeping set of emergency changes to its planning system in a bid to clear a mounting backlog of applications that has plagued the authority. The new measures, which come into force on Monday July 28th, aim to free up officer time and accelerate decision-making. The council says the backlog stems from a surge in applications and lingering issues with multiple legacy IT systems. However, the move has drawn sharp c…