Planning enforcement delays persist in Flintshire, council admits
Flintshire County Council has acknowledged ongoing problems with its planning enforcement service, with fewer than half of cases investigated on time during the latest reporting period.
A performance report covering the third quarter of the 2025–26 financial year is due to be presented to the council’s planning committee on Wednesday.
It shows that only 47 per cent of enforcement cases were investigated within 12 weeks, placing the service in the Welsh Government’s lowest performance category, described as “Improve”.
The report states that enforcement performance has remained static and that the team is effectively working at capacity.
Officers cite a combination of high-profile cases, staff absence and the complexity of investigations as factors contributing to delays.
During the quarter, 34 enforcement cases were investigated.
The council says pressures are likely to continue into the next quarter, raising questions about the service’s ability to improve performance without additional resources.
The report outlines several challenges facing the enforcement team, including difficulties identifying land ownership, delays while owners are slow to submit retrospective planning applications to correct unauthorised development, incomplete submissions, and the need to monitor sites over extended periods.
While enforcement performance remains weak, the council reported stronger results in other areas of planning.
Just over 90 per cent of all planning applications were determined within eight weeks or an agreed extension of time, meeting the Welsh Government’s benchmark for good performance.
For major developments, 85.7 per cent of applications were decided within the target timeframe.
The average determination time across all applications was 100 days, which officers say reflects the decision of several long-running cases during the quarter.
The report also shows that 97 per cent of planning decisions were made under delegated powers, slightly above the Wales-wide average.
There were two occasions during the quarter where the planning committee went against officer recommendations.
For the year to date, this places the council within the Welsh Government’s “Fair” performance range.
All three planning appeals decided during the quarter were dismissed by inspectors.
The appeals related to a replacement dwelling in open countryside, a proposed traveller site near Buckley, and a new house within a residential garden in Saltney.
No new cost awards were made during the period, although the council has paid £26,120 in appeal-related costs earlier in the current financial year.
Councillors are being asked to note the contents of the report when it is discussed at the planning committee meeting on Wednesday 11 February.
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