Somerset Council will implement a 12-week programme from Monday 28 July to reduce a significant backlog of planning applications and improve long-term performance across its Development Management service.

The move follows a rise in planning applications in recent years, leading to delays in determinations. The council apologised for the inconvenience and confirmed it is introducing a series of measures to free up case officer time and focus on decision-making.

Temporary changes include asking applicants, councillors and the public not to chase updates, limiting planning officer attendance at non-essential meetings, and only accepting amendments to applications in limited circumstances. Site visits will be restricted to essential cases, and applicants whose submissions fail validation will be given a single opportunity to respond within 14 days. A new triage system is also being introduced to speed up initial assessments.

Officers will work in-office on designated days to support the process, and the council will adhere strictly to existing criteria for referring applications to planning committees.

Cllr Mike Rigby, Portfolio Holder for Economic Development, Planning and Transportation, said: "This is an incredibly complex problem to solve, and we recognise that this critical action will impact on our residents. But it is necessary to bring work in progress down to a more manageable and sustainable standard… and, most importantly, to improve our offer to our communities."

The council cited recruitment challenges, staff retention issues, and multiple ICT systems following unitarisation as key contributors to the backlog. A longer-term improvement programme will continue through 2025 and 2026, focusing on better stakeholder relationships, streamlined operations, and improved staff retention.