## Cornwall Council Householder Team

Andrew England Assistant Head of Planning, Housing & Regeneration 

## Householder Team Approach - Context

- Budget 
- Performance - Aligning service resources 
- Identifying what's important 
- Feedback from Local Councils - Enabling tool-  
- Single IT system - Moving work to staff 

## Unitary Council

- 7 Councils into one unitary ( now 5 years old) - Circa 8,000 planning applications (4,000 house 
holder) a year   
- New Development Management culture 
introduced at outset 
- Generic Role profiles - Functional teams  
- e.g. Delivery, Majors, General, Householder.    
- Service Delivery Options Appraisal - Business approach 
 

## Budget Context

- Budget for Planning service 
continues to reduce.  

| 2010/11    | 2011/12    | 2012/13    | 2013/14    |
|------------|------------|------------|------------|
| £8.95      | £6.57      | £5.43      | £4.67      |
| Net budget |            |            |            |
| (Millions) |            |            |            |

## Staffing Key Issues For Planning & Growth

- Environment 
- World Heritage Site, Area of Outstanding Natural 
Beauty, Heritage Coast, etc. 
- European Convergence Funding. - Renewable Energy.  
- Affordable Housing 
- Circa 28,000 on Home Choice Register.   
- Cornwall Local Plan Pre-submission 
- 47,500 Housing target. (Former SWRSS - circa 68,000) 

## Opportunities -New Ways Of Doing Things

-     Householder applications 
 
- Householder team - Fast track Accredited agents scheme - Research Design Quality agents scheme - Stream line pre-application process 

## Householder Team- Why?

- Drivers  
- Proportionality - Efficiency 
- Managing workloads 
- Increased productivity - Cost effective - Local fee setting - IT electronic files 
- Local involvement - maintained - Pilot project- 6 months 

## Householder Team Scope Of Work

- **Extensions** and **alterations** to dwellings - **Associated** listed building and conservation 
area applications 
- **Certificate of lawfulness** for proposed works - Works to trees 
- in conservation area - TPO applications 
 

## Process….

- (Self) validate 
- Publicity & 
consultation  
- Desk top assessment 
- Risk assessment 
- Site visit? - Simplified report 
template 
- Decision issued 
- Note - no 
negotiation! 

## How Will We Know We Have Succeeded?

 
 
•
  
 
Target 
•
  
 
Actual 
•
Increased productivity per officer 

| -                   |
|---------------------|
| 100% (450 cases pa) |

•
Increased speed  
•
70% decided within 6 weeks;93% within 8 weeks 
- 6 weeks to determination 
(or better) 
•
Accredited agents 100%; more work needed here 
•
Improved validation 60% to 90% 
•
Cost efficient/neutral 
•
Fee £172 = 3 hours achieved cost neutral 
•
Maintain approval rate 
•
96% approval rate 
•
Customer satisfaction 

## Application Validity Rates

Quotes…. 

## Hours Worked Per Week Avoiding Duplication Better Service At Reduced Costs Householder Guidance - Assisting Self Service

- Householder Design guide 
 
- How to submit an application 
 
- Do I need permission?  

## Fast Track Accredited Agents

- Simplified validation checklist - Promote accredited agents - Release officer time for other applications - Faster decision making -target 6 weeks - Key contact officers - Less bureaucracy - pre application work 
 

## What Agents Do?

- Electronic Submission 
- Supporting documentation 
- Photos - Site impact on neighbours 
- Consistent quality - A3/A4 plans for usability - Linear scaled drawings - Neighbour/ Local Council engagement - Identify neighbour 

## Single Householder Team

- Reduced mileage costs (50%) and time by 
using Google earth, etc.  
- Increased speed 70% in 6 weeks - Increased productivity (450 cases pa per 
officer) 
- Provide a cost effective service (£170 = 
3.3 hours work)  
- High approval rate (96%) 

## Single Householder Team

- Procedures recorded and followed.  
- Shorter reports. - Managed risk no complaints/ ombudsman 
cases. 
- Customers welcome speed of decision. - High staff morale - Smarties! - Allows focus on majors. 

## Next Steps

- Mediation role for local councils? - More Local Development Orders? Eg Feock, 
Newquay 
- Single permission process for planning and  
building control? 
- Start to finish processing? - Develop quality accreditation scheme? 
Cornwall Council County Hall Truro TR1 3AY 
 
Tel: 0300 1234 100