Northumberland planning breaches spark calls for investment

The council's planning director highlighted a reduction in enforcement staff

Concerns over planning breaches across Northumberland have sparked calls for more investment in council enforcement.

At a meeting on Wednesday, Northumberland County Council's director of planning said resources were "stretched".

Rob Murfin said the council once had between 12 and 15 enforcement officers but now has fewer than five.

Members of the Communities and Place Scrutiny Committee agreed to press the council's cabinet for more resources.

Councillors across the county have raised a number of concerns this year over breaches of planning regulations, often involving large developers.

In September, Willow Homes was handed a breach of conditions notice over the Nursery Gardens development at Stannington Station, while last week the council confirmed it was in discussions with Miller Homes after concerns were raised over the Longridge Farm development.

At Wednesday's meeting, Mr Murfin said: "The problem is enforcement doesn't bring any fee income, so it's always difficult to justify more enforcement staff."

He said the authority had recently taken a "more assertive stance" with enforcement and had subsequently seen a significant increase in the issuing of enforcement notices which had "stretched our resources".

The committee agreed to make formal recommendations to invest more in enforcement, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Councillor Colin Horncastle, cabinet member with responsibility for planning, said the planning department is currently performing "really well".

He said the department was working to bring more affordable housing to the county, adding: "I bang the drum all the time for affordable housing.

"It is my number one priority. To do it in the rural north and west is extremely difficult and that's what I'm trying to do."