Consultants are to be paid up to £90,000 to clear a backlog of around 300 planning applications to help Powys planners meet performance targets.
The county council’s planners were given permission to take the money from reserves to fund the consultants’ work, at a recent board meeting.
The council has employed consultants Capita Symonds to wade through about 300 applications in an attempt to clear a backlog and bring the council’s department up-to-date.
At the meeting, Councillor Wynne Jones, portfolio holder for regeneration and development, said he hoped that by taking this action the planning department would meet national performance targets by the end of the current financial year.
“We want to be in a position where applications are up-to-date and we want to reach the acquired performance targets by next year,” he said.
“The service has experienced numerous problems over the last few years with staff illnesses and staff just haven’t had the resources to keep everything up to date.”
He said Capita Symonds would operate as an extension to the council service with all decisions and committee papers being processed through the council’s principal planners.
Councillor Jones said the system would remain open and transparent and people will still be able to make their comments and representations as before.
Councillor Russell George asked whether there was a need to hire the consultants as fewer applications were expected due to the economic climate.
But Councillor Jones said an agreement had already been reached with Capita Symonds and the applications had been sent to them.
Members agreed to allow £90,000 to be taken from planning reserves for the work.
