DEVELOPERS looking to build in Bromsgrove can now have major applications determined by the Bristol inspectorate after the Government took action against the authority.

The Department for Communities and Local Government served the designation notice on the planning service, despite the authority lobbying against the action.

The leader of the opposition Labour group, Luke Mallett, has slammed the council saying it was "inevitable" after Bromsgrove went from the second worse, to the worse performing department in the country.

The Government sets a target of 13 weeks for major planning applications to be determined, and authorities failing to consistently deliver this risk a designation notice.

The decision is a major blow as, until further notice, a major developer will have the choice of having a decision made by the authority’s planning department or by the Planning Inspectorate.

Despite the setback the authority's portfolio holder for planning, Councillor Kit Taylor, said he was regarding it as a "ripple not a wave".

“As we have said before and as we told the Government, this council is transforming its services to make them more efficient and effective, with our customer at the heart of everything we do," he said.

“Planning is no exception and instead of worrying about arbitrary targets, we sat with our customers and robustly worked through their applications which resulted in a higher rate of approval rather than them going round and round in the system.

“This has lead to brilliant feedback and I hope future applicants choose to work with our dedicated, experienced and committed team of planners."

He said he was not surprised the opposition Labour group had jumped on the news "at a time when they need all the votes they can get."

He added: “Nor am I shocked at their misinformed responses as we are not in special measures as they claim which further demonstrates their sheer lack of knowledge of the planning process.

“They have, after all, benefitted from the recent Whitford Road development as have the community.

“I will not let this petty political pantomime take away from the hard work that our planners have put in to turning this service around."

Councillor Mallett said: "This is the last thing Bromsgrove needs with applications for thousands of properties in the pipeline and a review of all the district's green belt to find more building land now imminent.

"The bottom line is that this special measures status is the direct result of years of Conservative mismanagement of planning in Bromsgrove.

"The latest decision by the Conservative leadership to move all the planning officers to Redditch has only made things worse.

"Is it any wonder the Government have finally called time on a failing council and its planning pantomime?"