Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the resources available to local government for planning enforcement in (a) Devon and (b) Somerset.

In the answer to Question UIN 16501 on 5 December 2024 I set out the government’s investment to support capacity and capability in local authorities. This will be further underpinned by increases in planning fees that will help improve the resourcing of planning application services, so that local planning authorities can fund the skills they need.

It is for local planning authorities to ensure they have the resources in place to carry out their planning enforcement function.

The government have no plans to undertake an assessment of the adequacy of the resources available for such enforcement in Devon and Somerset.