Nobody Wants to Work for Planning in Fenland However much they pay them – The Council Where Members Think Water Flows Uphill

/ andrew lainton

I know a principal officer who left for a better paid hourly rate in Fenland and closer to where they live. They lasted three weeks before going back to their old post. I asked why. I wont reveal the answer but it was apparently not a pleasant experience.

Even a record 14k signing on fee/market retention allowance including a nearly 7k car allowance is not enough. 

Peterborough earlier this years pulled out of work on a joint local plan effectively accusing Fenland of freeloading on them because of lack of staff.

Members have to ask why has it become toxic?

Fenland cllrs recently refused an application for housing at the top of this ‘hill’ for flooding, positive recommendation, no LLFDC objection. They were shown pictures of house flooding away from this point.  When I say ‘hill’ this is a fenland pimple – rising from below sea level to all of 4m above sea level in gross height. With the River Nene on top of the hill, Like most Fenland towns built on top of what was an island in the Fens in the past. The site is in flood zone 3 as is almost all the town. The pictures show dramatic fluvial not pluvial flooding, due to poor runoff in March itself, not as ever, from a field, unless a shift in gravity forces the water to run uphill (left here to the west on this photo). On the far left of the photo you can just see a fen taking water downhill from the site and the town to below sea level 

One of my all time favourite comical decisions. ‘The council’s legal officer Stephen Turnbull warned that if councillors went against the officer recommendation and supported Coun French’s motion to reject the plans they could face having to pay substantial legal costs in respect of an appeal.
That did not, however, stop Councillor Mark Purser seconding Coun French’s motion to refuse on the grounds the application was against council policy, nor did it stop the rest of the committee unanimously voting for it.‘

Cambs News

Fenland District Council says it has paid out more than £550,000 [up 150k in two months] this year to agency staff to cover vacancies – the bulk of that sum in planning. Planning has swallowed an additional £410,000 in staffing costs since April to hire agency staff.

The council – which announced in October it had spent an extra £358,680 at a time when it had 11 unfilled roles – revealed the latest dismal scenario to Cabinet members ahead of Christmas.

Fenland Council is currently advertising 9 vacancies in its planning department – including that of a replacement for planning chief Nick Harding who leaves on New Year’s Eve. [ getting out while he can. He refuses even to put Fenland on his CV such is its notoriety in the East of England.]

In addition to a replacement for Mr Harding as head of planning the council is advertising for

In a joint report, Peter Catchpole, Corporate Director and Chief Finance Officer and Mark Saunders, Chief Accountant, told Cabinet there remained “difficulties in recruiting and retaining employed staff and the necessity to engage contract/agency staff.

“An enhanced recruitment and retention package has recently been agreed by employment committee to attract more employed staff and reduce the reliance on agency staff”.

Planning is not the only department facing a staff shortage.

“The latest projected outturn for 2023/24 show the likelihood of a shortfall in the region of £707,000 by the end of this financial year,” says the report.

“There have been numerous significant variations during this year to date which have contributed to the projected shortfall.”

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