Firms shunning city because of red tape, says city council consultants
UP TO £200,000 will be spent slashing red tape and making it easier for businesses to submit planning applications.
A new report reveals Vanguard Consulting found there are at least 300 steps involved in obtaining planning permission from Stoke-on-Trent City Council – but only six are of any use to the applicant.
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Now the authority has agreed to invest the cash amid concerns that businesses are not investing and creating jobs in the city because of the complicated planning system.
Officers are working to simplify the process as part of the council's £4.6 million "save to invest" strategy for 2012/13.
The money will help fund the creation of an accelerated development zone in Etruria Valley, offering a faster planning process and dedicated advice for investors.
And the council will draw up transport and feasibility plans for derelict brown field sites to make them more appealing to businesses.
Senior planning officer Edward Sidley said: "The city council approves the majority of planning applications.
"Despite this fact, people who submit planning applications are confronted by a system that is complex, cumbersome, inaccessible and geared primarily towards meeting national performance targets.
"This is all to the detriment of the customer."
Mr Sidley said businesses had been deterred from moving into the city because of how long it took to get permission for developments, adding: "Planning and the development management committee are at the forefront of the mandate for change.
"It has a massive bearing on whether people want to come and invest in the city.
"People have been put off coming into the city because of their experience of using the planning service."
The Sentinel reported last week how councils across Staffordshire had signed up to a charter committing to make the planning process easier for businesses.
Planning consultant Carl Copestake of John Rose Associates said: "Everyone involved in planning has been frustrated.
"We need a clear understanding. It's a political process but everyone needs to pull together.
"Without development there are no new jobs and if there aren't any new jobs we can't move forward as a city."
Andrew Shirley, who advises on planning for the Country, Land and Business Association, based in Stafford, said: "Small businesses may only put in one planning application in their lives and if they don't get what they want it can be very expensive and they won't expand.
"They may be tarnished by it and never try again.
"You need greater transparency within the planning maze and to know the chances of succeeding."
Stoke-on-Trent City Council's investments, designed to boost the city's economy, are being funded through savings of £24 million in the next financial year.
8 Comments
by NOONESHOME
Monday, February 13 2012, 7:06PM
“This is just the tip of huge iceberg,believe me!! I have had the unfortunate experience to partake in a tender for for this useless council. If any of the people setting up the tender systems for this council had an IQ over twenty this city could save hundreds of thousands of pounds per tender.It is made virtually impossible for the smaller local companies to be succsessful when tendering for work in this city.The tenders are not even administered by our council, they are contracted out to the likes of Bravo Solutions,At lord knows what expense.
These are the quality of people we have in our wonderful council,They cannot even oversee an application or a tender system without bringing in consultants at exhorbitant rates of pay.”
by yamerama
Monday, February 13 2012, 5:16PM
“How on earth can it cost anything at all to do this, let alone £200,000? Just liaise with another council with an efficient system in place. Then, at some future date they may want some advice from Stoke council in return. After all, everyone's on the same side to benefit the country so why not?”
by fiat128
Monday, February 13 2012, 5:11PM
“Is there anybody out there who can actually tell me what the 300 steps are?”
by lanternhead
Monday, February 13 2012, 3:44PM
“we don't need consultants to tell us that planning department staff are thick.”
by Notanumber
Monday, February 13 2012, 1:03PM
“On the face of it, this is good news. However, the cutting of red tape is not the only obstacle preventing potential companies setting up here. People who previously worked in the pottery industry need retraining so those skills can be used in conjunction with this proposal. Other than that, any skilled job will be taken by workers from outside this area and will do little short term good for job prospects.”
by mole10
Monday, February 13 2012, 12:26PM
“They are running out of excuses and reasons for Vanguard's presence in this City.
300 steps for a planning application and no-one knew.
What bunkum.
We are losing pools, parks, Care Homes and care workers to pay for Vanguard and the so-called 'savings' being made is extra cuts identified by no one for a whimsical idea investing into officer led pipe dreams creating employment that does not exist.”
by johnboy2011
Monday, February 13 2012, 11:27AM
“Gob smacked, they might as well have the monkeys at Trentham gardens running the council, they certainly have more intelligence than these lot.”
by yesamwargames
Monday, February 13 2012, 10:43AM
“Did they pay consultants to set the 300 steps up in the first place, they seem to need only one step to claim money, "pass the form".”