HC Deb 26 May 2004 vol 421 c1653W
Mr. Sayeed

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of whether local authority planning enforcement officers have sufficient(a) manpower resources and (b) funding adequately to control developers to ensure that the residents of communities are not put at risk by the acts or omissions of developers. [175880]

Keith Hill

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has not made such an assessment. We have, however, received a number of responses to our consultation on the review of the Planning Enforcement system expressing the view that local authorities do not put sufficient resources into enforcement. We are making £350 million of additional funding available to local planning authorities through the planning delivery grant. The grant is not ring-fenced and local planning authorities may use it to make staff and financial resources available for planning enforcement.