Walsall Council Banner

Excellent planning makes Walsall best in Midlands

Date Published : 06 December 2005

Houses in Walsall

Walsall Council planners have won more than £460,000 of Government funding - the biggest such award to any Midlands council and the eighth highest in England.

The council’s improved performance has put Walsall into the top two percent of local authorities sharing the £73 million Planning Delivery Grant for the next financial year.

Ministers are giving the funding to Walsall as direct reward for the council’s performance in turning around its speed of planning application decision-making and meeting government targets for the year ending 30 June 2005.

The grant is shared among 408 local authorities to help them carry out their planning functions, with the worst performing councils receiving nothing.

Walsall receives £460,776 and is bettered by only seven other councils, with the highest award being £539,502.

Councillor Marco Longhi, cabinet member for the environment, said: “This is a fantastic success and represents the dramatic improvements that Walsall Council has made to its planning service in recent years.

“It is also a tribute to the hard work and commitment of our planning staff in achieving this outstanding result. I am very proud of their achievement in securing our remarkable turn around in performance.”

A recent survey by the council showed that more than four out of five people who received planning decisions were satisfied with the service. Many said they are getting decisions faster than before.