Somerset Council is currently relying on enforcement officers from a local authority over 150 miles away in the West Midlands to manage planning enforcement duties. The move comes as the council continues to face significant difficulties recruiting enforcement officers to address unauthorised building activities and breaches of planning permission within the county.
The planning enforcement team plays a critical role in identifying and rectifying unauthorised developments, with powers to impose fines or pursue legal action when necessary. However, recruitment challenges have led to a backlog of more than 1,000 open enforcement cases reported as of September 2025—a nearly 10% increase from the previous year.
Chief Planning Officer Alison Blom-Cooper acknowledged this reliance on outside assistance during a recent strategic planning committee meeting in Taunton. She explained that the council had appointed an agency enforcement officer through a service provided by Lichfield District Council, a West Midlands authority. This agency, Lichfield West Midlands Traded Services, is reportedly unique in the South West region and operates on a pay-by-results basis.
Blom-Cooper highlighted ongoing recruitment efforts, noting that a new advertisement for permanent enforcement officers was due to be released soon. She emphasized the importance of communicating enforcement issues through the council’s online form to facilitate efficient triage and action, as current reports are often incomplete or inconsistent.
Councillor Matt Martin raised concerns about the cost-effectiveness of relying on agency staff and whether it might undermine efforts to secure permanent recruits. He suggested that agencies might prioritize authorities willing to pay more for results. Blom-Cooper reassured that Somerset Council is currently the sole South West user of this agency, and that agency staff are helping to attract candidates for permanent roles, which offer competitive pay grades and retention incentives.
As part of its upcoming budget plans, Somerset Council will conduct a pay and grading review across all staff roles, including examining recruitment allowances designed to attract talent in hard-to-fill areas like planning enforcement and social work. Blom-Cooper confirmed that recruitment and retention allowances were previously enhanced but acknowledged that the enforcement team had yet to benefit from such measures. She indicated that focusing attention on recruitment incentives for enforcement officers would be a priority moving forward.