Planning delays 'costing firms'

Planning consultants and developers met officials from Brecon Beacons National Park to resolve their differences.

But the meeting was told that some developers were waiting up to eight months for planning consent when it should normally take eight weeks.

The national park said changes were being made to its planning services.

After Thursday's meeting, Sam Organ, of Co2 Architecture and Design and Bywyd Developments Ltd, said companies were losing money.

"The park is in a difficult position and it's under a great deal of scrutiny, but it is taking a ludicrous amount of time to resolve planning applications," he said.

"It is taking a ludicrous amount of time to resolve planning applications"
Businessman Sam Organ

"Some applications take six to eight months and when you're facing interest costs of £1,000 a week on some sites, it's not long before people start to struggle."

He added consultants and developers had been given assurances that the situation would alter.

Critical

Chris Gledhill, national park chief executive, said changes were being made, but would not happen overnight.

He added that two more planning officers would be recruited immediately.

"The improvement plan also re-examines how we deal with planning applications from beginning to end and is designed to address the challenges facing the park authority planning services," said Mr Gledhill.

"It allows us to build on the improvements we had already begun to make and this, together with the new improvement plan, new management team and dedicated officers will help us move forward."

In January, an independent inquiry was critical of the way the park dealt with an application for a caravan park at Gilestone Farm in Talybont-on-Usk, near Brecon.

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