Builders could be charged over planning appeals, warns Shropshire Council

It comes following a large increase in the number of appeals against planning decisions.

Mal Price, cabinet member responsible for regulatory services, housing and commissioning, said the authority would seek to defend it policies.

He said once the council's local plan, SAMDev, was fully adopted then he expected the issue of 'five-year land supply' – whether the council has enough land for housing development – to become the focus of planning appeals.

Councillor Price said he was confident the council's land supply was sufficient, and if deemed so at inquiry then the authority would seek costs from those who continue to challenge it.

He said: "One area that still concerns me is the five-year land supply. We are confident with it but at every planning appeal they will challenge it.

"There will come a point where I think the council will have to challenge back on some of these appeals and go for costs against the applicant."

Councillor Price said the amount of planning appeals faced by the council has nearly doubled in the past year, with an impact on the planning department resources.

Marginal

He said: "The number of appeals we are facing is rising significantly.

"In 2014/15 I think we had 61 appeals in total. That was already rising. This year as far as last week we had 71. It is likely to be 100 by the end of the year."

However, Helen Howie, a planning consultant with Berrys chartered surveyors, said the county's five-year land supply was still considered marginal and was also likely to be challenged every year.

She said: "They are quite marginal in their land supply so can they expect to be challenged from all over every year.

"The same is happening across England every year in every local authority. Five-year land supply is challenged and authorities that are clearly marginal are much more open to challenge, and Shropshire is in that boat.

"Because the council has under-supplied almost every year of the plan so far (which runs from 2006 to 2026) its shortfall goes up every year and that has a knock-on effect on its five-year land supply."

Councillor Price also said full adoption of the SAMDev plan, which sets out guidance for where developments can take place up until 2026, would provide certainty for towns and villages across Shropshire.