DELAYS in processing planning applications in Wiltshire is having "a huge adverse impact" on families and businesses, according to a councillor.

New figures show that Wiltshire Council currently has almost 2,000 open planning applications.

It was also revealed that 42 per cent of these applications have been in progress for more than 13 weeks, following a question to Wiltshire Council's Cabinet from Martin Smith, Liberal Democrat Councillor for Sherston.

That is the point at which large applications should normally be determined, and also the point when large developers go straight to appeal.

Currently, 24 per cent of applications are still open beyond 26 weeks, which is the limit the Government sets for its ‘planning guarantee’.

Cllr Smith said even allowing for delays caused by applicants and developers, the data painted a "pretty bleak picture" of the council's planning service.

"This can have a huge adverse impact on people needing that house extension for the latest addition to the family or businesses hoping to invest and expand in the county",  he said.

"In fact, there was a company that put in an application in Latton that would have provided many new jobs; the application took so long that they withdrew and now plan to set up outside of Wiltshire."

Cllr Smith added that the cabinet showed "incredible complacency in denying that any real problem existed".

Cllr Nick Botterill, cabinet member for development management, strategic planning and climate change, said during the pandemic "a combination of factors conspired to cause an increased backlog of planning applications".

He says this was mainly due to a spike in planning applications being submitted, staff being deployed elsewhere, and difficulties in recruiting new staff to fill vacancies during the pandemic.

The introduction of a new system for managing planning applications in Wiltshire around the start of 2021 probably did not help matters either, says Cllr Botterill.

He added: "The effects of Covid were still being felt during 2021 so it is not surprising that the backlog grew during this year but performance in determining applications received in Wiltshire was similar to that in other comparable large planning authorities like Cornwall and Dorset and better in fact than some neighbouring albeit smaller authorities.

"Since the start of the year, the planning department has been pretty much fully staffed or covered by agency. This is despite the fact that there is an acute national shortage of available qualified planning officers."

Cllr Botterill said that the council is getting on top of meeting the current level of applications being received, and in terms of the backlog, additional effort is being deployed to reduce those applications which are beyond the normal determination period of eight weeks.