Agenda item

The Head of Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS) took the opportunity to thank the Technical Services Manager, WRS for all his hard work on the Environmental and Planning Enforcement Business Case.

The Technical Services Manager, WRS presented the report and drew Members’ attention to the Recommendations as detailed on page 3 of the supplementary agenda pack.

The recommendation would see an increase in the WRS budget of £470,625, with Bromsgrove District Council’s contribution increasing by £326,128 and Redditch Borough Council’s by £144,497.

The Technical Services Officer, WRS explained that, during 2021 WRS were asked to assist Bromsgrove District and Redditch Borough Councils, planning colleagues with evidence gathering for allegations of planning breaches. On the back of this, wider support was provided for planning enforcement, enviro-crime and wider enforcement functions through training, mentoring, intelligence analysis and reporting, as well as undertaking the enforcement work.

This had increased and as such the majority of planning enforcement work in Bromsgrove and Redditch was currently being delivered by WRS under a service level agreement, fully funded by these two partners.

Wyre Forest District Council colleagues had also provided support to the Bromsgrove and Redditch Enviro-crime services during this time.

Whilst initially expressing an interest in the early stages of the review latterly, the relevant managers at Wyre Forest District Council confirmed their intent to explore alternative in-house options of development. Hence, subsequent iterations of the business case omitted their service areas and focused on Bromsgrove and Redditch services only.

A Strategic Outline Business Case was prepared, as detailed on the exempt Appendix to the report, to explore the benefit in bringing together enforcement functions from Bromsgrove and Redditch Council services with those already within WRS to deliver a quality service to all customers. The intention was to identify where service delivery could be improved through prioritisation, standardisation, and resilience. Weaknesses were identified in the current Bromsgrove and Redditch delivery model and the business case explored possible alternatives.

OPERATIONAL ISSUES

The Strategic Outline Business Case provided an overview of the enforcement activity across all services of Bromsgrove and Redditch Councils, including shared services. Planning, Environmental Services and Housing Standards all had obvious enforcement functions to consider. The difficulties in maintaining a viable enforcement service for each subject area was discussed and identified that knowledge, skills, and wider supporting mechanisms were in general difficult to provide for isolated teams or individuals. WRS conversely as a larger enforcement team with relevant support functions did not suffer these issues

Four plausible scenarios were considered further: continuing with the existing arrangements; grouping the enforcement roles into one team within the two councils; or alternatively grouping them within WRS; and a fourth scenario with associated call handling also grouped together in WRS. This last option would enable full triaging, together with the ability to resolve at ‘first point of contact’ and was identified as the best option following the cost benefit assessment and risk analysis.

The business case relied on both Redditch and Bromsgrove Councils endorsing this approach. Both the Redditch Executive and Bromsgrove Cabinet approved the recommendation to pursue the business case during January 2024; and both full Councils further approved this approach; including the transfer of associated budget to WRS with additional investment to a total of £470,625.

Should the other 4 WRS partner authorities be happy to endorse this via approval by Board Members, then the functions can formally be added to the statement of requirements for Bromsgrove District and Redditch Borough Councils.

The additional investment referred to covered the inclusion of resource not easily transferable into WRS (call handling), additional resource to meet demand in planning enforcement, and resource to tackle a backlog created during COVID, as well as enhancement of the enviro-crime resource to enable greater proactive measures to support the wider enforcement work.

The benefit to WRS would be that existing staff would be retained and encouraged to grow by learning new skills. It would also increase the scope of WRS data and intelligence.

The Members for Bromsgrove District and Redditch Borough Councils commented that it had received unanimously by their Members and that with more officers looking at a range of different things, it would benefit their authority. It was the best fit for both Councils.

In response to questions from the Board, the Head of WRS further reassured Members that, the additional resources for Bromsgrove District and Redditch Borough Councils would not ‘eke’ over into other authorities service areas. It would not distract work away from other partner authorities and that there would be no financial burden or resource issue for the other four partners. He was happy to give financial reassurance to partners.

The Head of WRS further added that other partners might look to give some thought in the future to WRS providing Environmental and Planning Enforcement.

RESOLVED that

a)    the proposal to progress the Strategic Outline Business Case by bringing

     enviro-crime and planning enforcement functions for Bromsgrove District 

      and Redditch Borough Councils into the WRS remit, be agreed;

b)    the associated budget uplift of £470,625 to be provided by Bromsgrove

     District and Redditch Borough Councils to facilitate the delivery of those

     services, which would ensure no financial impacts for the other four

     partners, be noted; and

c)    the associated permanent uplift to the current establishment that these

     additional functions required for delivery, be agreed.

(During consideration of this item, Members discussed matters that necessitated the disclosure of exempt information. It was therefore agreed to move to exclude the press and public prior to any debate on the grounds that information would be revealed Information relating to any consultations or negotiations, or contemplated consultations or negotiations, in connection with any labour relations matters arising between the authority of a Minister of the Crown and employees of, or office holders under, the authority).