South West Tops Planning Complaints in England: Ombudsman Report Reveals

Published On: 24 July 2024Last Updated: 24 July 2024By CornishStuff

South West Leads Planning Complaints in England

The South West region of England has emerged as the leading area for planning complaints, according to the latest data released by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman for 2023-24. The report forms part of the Ombudsman’s annual review of complaints across all local authorities in England.

Key Findings from the Ombudsman Report

Volume of Complaints: The South West accounted for 10.3% of all complaints and enquiries received by the Ombudsman, with 1,795 complaints and enquiries submitted. This equates to 31.1 complaints per 100,000 residents, placing the South West second only to London, which has 47.2 complaints per 100,000 residents.
Children and Education: A significant portion of these complaints, 31%, were related to Children and Education services, higher than the national average of 27%. The region saw 9.6 complaints per 100,000 residents in this category, again the second highest after the South East.
Planning and Development: Planning and Development issues represented 14% of the complaints in the South West, well above the national average of 10%. With 4.3 cases per 100,000 residents, the South West had the highest rate in this category, surpassing the South East’s 3.7 and the national average of 3.0.
Housing: Complaints about Housing were comparatively low, with 2.6 cases per 100,000 residents, the third lowest in the country.

High Uphold Rate in the South West

The overall uphold rate for complaints in the South West was 81%, slightly above the national average of 80%. Specifically, the uphold rate for Children and Education complaints stood at a notable 89%. The region also saw a total of 391 upheld decisions, translating to 6.8 upheld decisions per 100,000 residents, the second highest after London’s 8.2.

National Concerns Over Council Compliance

Nationally, the Ombudsman, Amerdeep Somal, has expressed concerns over councils’ failure to comply with recommendations in a timely manner. For the first time, more than one in five complaints were remedied late. While the overall compliance rate remains high at 99.5%, delays continue to affect the people at the centre of these complaints.

Amerdeep stated, “Almost all councils want to comply with our recommendations, accept responsibility when things go wrong, and provide good services to residents, and our 99.5% compliance rate indicates this is the case. But all too often resources and finances prevent them from doing so as swiftly as they should.”

Sector Struggles to Cope

The Ombudsman’s annual report highlighted the struggles faced by local government sectors across England. Complaints about services for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) dominated the Ombudsman’s casework, comprising 26% of all complaints received and 42% of all upheld complaints. The fault was found in 92% of investigated education cases, with the numbers rapidly increasing.

Adult Social Care Services also featured prominently, making up 14% of the casework, with 80% of complaints investigated being upheld. Housing and homelessness complaints formed 16% of the Ombudsman’s workload, with 84% of these investigations being upheld, especially acute in London.

Conclusion

The South West’s high rate of planning complaints underscores the regional challenges in managing development and planning issues. With the Ombudsman’s report highlighting both the successes and ongoing struggles of local councils, it remains clear that significant improvements are needed to address the concerns of residents effectively and promptly.

For detailed statistics on each council and to compare against regional and national averages, visit Your Council’s Performance, which includes an interactive map and further insights into council performance.