Decision details

To help address the backlog of householder planning applications in the Planning Service caused by temporary vacancies / absences in the Service.

RESOLVED - That: an existing Call-Off Contract with Capita Property & Infrastructure Limited, which was made under the Crown Commercial Service Framework Agreement for Estate Management Services, for the processing of householder planning applications, is extended for a period of up to six months and modified to raise the existing cap for the total number of such applications processed by Capita from 100 to 200.

Option 1 (as recommended) – to extend the Call-Off Contract with Capita Property & Infrastructure Limited for the available six-month period and, for the extended period, to replicate the number of applications which could be passed to Capita during the initial six-month term, to support the service in processing householder applications.

Option 2 – to seek to appoint Agency support to bring a suitably qualified individual in for approximately four months to act as a case officer on householder applications – this option is not recommended due to the cost of agency contractors (likely to be in excess of £25,000 for the four months), the time it would take to bring that person onboard and the fact they would be unlikely to be able to process as many as 100 applications in that time.

Option 3 – to seek to appoint a temporary Planning Officer as a member of staff for six months – this option is not recommended as, whilst it would be similar in cost (at approximately £21,000), it would take time to recruit to the post, be unlikely to attract many (if any) candidates of suitable quality / qualifications due to the temporary nature of it, and it would extend the period over which the backlog would be addressed.

Option 4 – do nothing – whilst this option would clearly have the greatest financial benefit, it would not address the challenges facing the service and would not mitigate the risk associated with the growing backlog of applications in the service, so it is not recommended.

Option 2 – to seek to appoint Agency support to bring a suitably qualified individual in for approximately four months to act as a case officer on householder applications – this option is not recommended due to the cost of agency contractors (likely to be in excess of £25,000 for the four months), the time it would take to bring that person onboard and the fact they would be unlikely to be able to process as many as 100 applications in that time.

Option 3 – to seek to appoint a temporary Planning Officer as a member of staff for six months – this option is not recommended as, whilst it would be similar in cost (at approximately £21,000), it would take time to recruit to the post, be unlikely to attract many (if any) candidates of suitable quality / qualifications due to the temporary nature of it, and it would extend the period over which the backlog would be addressed.

Option 4 – do nothing – whilst this option would clearly have the greatest financial benefit, it would not address the challenges facing the service and would not mitigate the risk associated with the growing backlog of applications in the service, so it is not recommended.

Not Applicable