PR 304

19 December 2006

For Immediate Release

Great Yarmouth Borough Council’s Planning Department has delivered Christmas cheer for homebuyers by significantly improving search delivery.

Earlier this year the department was publicly criticised for the length of time potential property owners had to wait for a search to be completed on buildings or land they wished to buy.

“A problem caused by a shortage of staff and sickness was exacerbated when we were inundated with search submissions,” explained Planning Policy Manager David Glason.

“In a normal month we receive an average of 300 searches. In September that rose by 22 per cent and in October by 47 per cent.

“Large projects in the Borough including work at James Paget Hospital and the Royal Arcade stretched our resources, but none more than the Outer Harbour project which brought more than 100 submissions in one hit.

“We have employed extra staff and brought forward a successful modernisation programme which we had been implementing. It is more IT focussed and moves away from the partially paper-based service we had operated in the past.

“The aim had been to reach the national standard of 10 days to turn around searches by Christmas. But already we have brought it down to nine days and this continues to fall.”

For further information contact Head of Planning and Development Peter Warner on 01493 846104 or Planning Policy Manager David Glason on 01493 846643.

Issued by:
Liz Dann
Press Officer
Great Yarmouth Borough Council
01493 846513