DELIVERING new affordable homes in Somerset is taking “literally years” due to a shortage of planning officers, a councillor has claimed.

Somerset Council’s planning department has been tightly stretched since the authority came into being, with numerous planning officers leaving as a result of the ongoing transformation programme or being offered other opportunities elsewhere.

At a recent full council meeting, two Conservative councillors openly criticised the planning and enforcement teams, arguing the lack of personnel was holding up much-needed housing and allowing planning law breaches to go unpunished.

The council said that recruiting and retaining planning officers was a “top priority” and that every effort would be made to clear the current backlog.

Around 2,300 planning applications in Somerset are currently awaiting determination, with some applicants waiting years for a decision.

Some of the delays can be attributed to the ongoing phosphates crisis, with around 12,000 homes being in limbo while developers and the council negotiate additional, often costly mitigation to prevent damage to the Somerset Levels and Moors.

Other delays have come about as a result of changing personnel, with the council’s planning committee south having to recently defer a decision on plans for new industrial units in Sparkford because the relevant officer had left the organisation – plans which were put forward back in 2022.

Councillor Mark Healey represents the Huntspill division near Bridgwater, which is likely to see significant housing growth in the coming years as the new ‘gigafactory’ is delivered within the Gravity enterprise zone, between Puriton and Woolavington.

At a full council meeting held in Bridgwater on September 26, he criticised the lack of resources within the council’s planning department, claiming it was taking “literally years” to deliver much-needed affordable homes in the county.

He said: “It appears that the council has resource issues regarding the amount of planners we have. This affects the public and businesses alike, regarding the delivery of new and affordable housing.

“The council needs to understand that the length of time gaining planning permission in some cases taking literally years to achieve – let alone the increased burden of ever-increasing costs to the developers and public alike, which has a knock-on effect.

“How do you intend to deliver changes to this when there is little or no money to achieve this aim?

“It saddens me that the most complaints I am receiving to date is regarding planning, which I am sure fellow colleagues must be getting as well.”

Councillor Mike Rigby, portfolio holder for economic development, planning and assets, said that getting on top of planning delays was “his top priority” in his new role (which he began in mid-August following a reshuffle of the council’s executive).

He elaborated: “It’s fair to say that across the country, local authorities are facing capacity challenges in delivering their planning functions, and in recruiting and retaining planners and other specialist professionals that are important to planning.

“We are facing these challenges, and it is important that we do all we can to address this.”