Delaying validation

[Gary Prentice]

I submitted an app on 7th of July and so, when a letter landed today,  I thought that it had been determined.

 

The letter informs me they've received my application and, subject to it containing sufficient information for validation, I'll get an answer in six to eight weeks!

 

 

I submitted a 211 and an app to another authority, two weeks later I get a letter to say one site is in a CA, the has TPOd trees on it???  Really!

 

After phone calls and emails, they then ask me to send copies because they can't find the originals. 

 

Currently averaging 3-4 months to get an app determined, S211,s over five if at all. Five day notices? I don't think I've even had an acknowledgement for the last three.

 

How much worse is it going to get?

 

[DanVC]

Every council is different,  helps if the TO does his/her own app permissions too.  Its the councils without a TO that prove to be an issue, the ones where someone in planning has an app left on their desk and out come the legal books etc. 

[Gary Prentice]

All these have TO's, it's planning that seems to be the issue.

 

met our local one this afternoon regarding 5-6 trees in an area order. Need to come out now to allow watercourse management. Had consent to do before leaving the site meeting

[Gary Prentice]

Usually email to planning admin and cc to the particular office who deals with tree apps.

 

I'll email the authority to remind them the submission date was 7th July (we have a receipt response) and that the determination date is eight weeks from then, not 12th August! I don't want to waste my time going to appeal, for non determination, but will do if they don't play fair. 

 

I've made fuss with different councils for the last ten years, forced a few changes and caused a bit of trouble, but I'm pragmatic now. I recognise the position a lot of departments are in, so as long as there's some give and take I don't bother too much - as long as the client isn't on my case!

 

TO has been great today, I asked Friday for a meeting, met this afternoon and because of the situation he's given consent to do the work tomorrow, if we need to. How do complain if you have to wait a bit longer, to lift someone's tree in a back garden?

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

12 hours ago, EdwardC said:

If practical I'd do the apps/S211's through the portal.  If not then by post, registered/signed for, maybe e-mail to the relevant department, or the generic email address for the Council. Take them in person to reception and get a receipt when you hand them in. But always have a copy and evidence that it was sent.

 

For apps you could always appeal on the grounds of non-determination. If an S211 then get on with it after the six-weeks notice.

 

Maybe if you make a nuisance and complain/appeal/get on with it they will be more inclined to be prompt.

 

How much worse is it going to get. Well that depends on how long people are prepared to keep voting Tory keeping them in power and so allowing them to impose their dogma of cuts to services based on the grounds of austerity to fund tax cuts for the rich. If the Councils have less and less money to provide services, expect less and less by way of service.

 

In a few years the pendulum will swing again and public services will be seen as important and will gradually improve. But that's not going to be before all central government funding of local government by way of the Revenue Support Grant is axed. So expect more cuts, lots more cuts, in the next few years.

Everyone needs to embrace behavioural change which delivers more efficient working practice - The Planning Portal (in this instance) is a great example.

 

 Public sector departments are riddled with inefficiency, ineptitude, idleness and lack of imagination - the spotlight is on them and the money tap is off, for that we can THANK "the Tories" and we should live in dread of the prospect of Labour promising to write cheques our bank balances can't cash.

12 hours ago, EdwardC said:

 

 

[Gary Prentice]

I feel awful now.

 

Emailed planning this morning to highlight the submission date and I found their response unacceptable in recording the application five weeks later. I said that if the app wasn't determined eight weeks after my submission I'd be going to appeal.

 

the TO replied with a very apologetic email, the response is computer generated and uses the day the operator inputs the details. He'd forgotten to amend to the right dates!

 

He'd also written the consent and although he hadn't got it in the post yet who wanted us to know that we could crack on.

 

I wish I'd sent a lot less officious email and been a lot more friendly in my approach. 

[DanVC]

Well said.

[Roz]

It is interesting being on the other side as a TO - I certainly don't condone the incompetence of some council practices which I hear about on here and seen first hand, but as a whole the industry has changed and is changing - along with councils.

 

Councils are so process driven they have lost site of the purpose - PUBLIC SERVICE -  and in trying to be efficient and work in this digital age the role of the TO is wrapped up in the same parcel as a planner/planning process which can cause problems.  For example if you wanted a site meeting with me you now have to make a PreApp request and be charged for it ?!?!  i get accused by my managers of being too helpful and being asked 'should that have been a PreApp?'  Err No I'm here to help and I dont see an us and them were on teh same side; whats the best option for the tree(s).

 

Also colleagues have experienced not being able to fill TO/Tree inspector posts and the reason, in the old days if you were lucky you did the ND in arb  or trained on the job gaining your tickets worked brash dragging then, climbing and decided you could do it better  yourself set up on your own learned more on the jobs etc effectively an apprenticeship and at some point possibly decided that a job with the council seemed a good option on those freezing cold days.  With the development of qualifications within the industry more people are gaining foundation degree, MSCs etc and want to launch into consultancy roles leaving a big gap in the skill base in terms of coming up through the ranks.  I am not criticisng the development of making the industry more professional and recognised qualifications etc but what you are left with in terms of filling TO roles can be questionable.

 

Just the observations of a TO - Happy Friday

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

Looking online at the abysmal standard of some of the TPO apps that are validated and processed by my LA, and therefore take up TO / PO time & resource to consult on, I can't help thinking a good chunk of time could be saved by an early rejection of inadequate submissions  rather than letting them progress through the system exhausting resources along the way to the inevitable refusal.  

 

But there in lies some of the problem with most public sector organisations - they need to show "workload" to safeguard jobs / resources so it would be foolish to find ways of reducing loading and become more efficient because that could result in less staff / resource. 

 

Hate to say it, but maybe it IS time that 211/TPO apps were a pay to use service, might result in some better standard submissions. 

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

PS just had a pair of TPO app's approved at week 6, never happened before 8th week before, BZ LA 

 

(just got some scheduling issues to overcome now)