Majority of Havering planning enforcement team cut

Havering Council has confirmed that cuts to staff roles amid efforts to save £13 million on jobs “will impact” some of its services. 

One department believed to have been hit is planning, with more than half of its enforcement team allegedly laid off last Friday (October 28). All those affected are believed to be agency staff.

Cllr Darren Wise, an East Havering Residents’ Group councillor for Harold Wood, said he had been told that 60 per cent of the team’s staff were finishing, something he believes will impact the service. 

Cllr Wise said: “If there is a lack of or limited planning enforcement staff, then this will allow unscrupulous developers and householders (where applicable) to try and bypass planning permission requirements as they know they can get away with it.” 

Cllr Darren Wise (Image: Havering Council)

He added there is “likely” to be an increase in complaints where development is taking place, with staff also liable to burnout. 

“The stress and workloads on existing staff will be difficult to manage and overall, the service will suffer,” he said.

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Cllr Ray Morgon, leader of Havering Council, confirmed a decision had been made to not extend some of its agency worker contracts, and that around 60pc of planning enforcement staff have been let go.

“We will not, in the current financial year, be replacing them, which will impact some of the work we do,” he said. 

 “This will help towards our savings this year, but this will be a temporary solution as the council works on its saving targets for the next financial year.

“While the team may be getting smaller temporarily – we will continue to ensure that planning rules are followed.”

Plans to cut up to 400 jobs were unveiled by the council at the start of this year, as it looked to make savings of £13 million. 

These were to consist of a combination of reducing agency staff, cancelling vacant posts and rolling out a voluntary redundancy scheme, for which the Recorder previously reported a total of 51 employees came forward, including three senior leaders.

Since then, the council's financial position has been refered to in documents as "acute", with £70m in savings required over the next four years.

Cllr Morgon has previously described the current situation as “probably in the most difficult position that we’ve ever been in”. 

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