Conservatives have questioned why a number of key planning performance measures have deteriorated at Liberal Democrat-run Somerset Council over the last year, warning that Somerset cannot afford to see planning services moving in the wrong direction.
The concerns were raised following the publication of Somerset Council's latest Corporate Performance Report, which shows several planning indicators performing worse than they were a year ago.
The report shows the percentage of minor planning applications decided on time has fallen from 85% to 76.7%, while the percentage of other applications determined within target timescales has fallen from 92.5% to 83%. The proportion of planning consultations responded to within 21 days has also declined, while the number of applications waiting within the system remains significantly above the council's target level.
Conservative Opposition Leader Cllr Diogo Rodrigues challenged the figures at a recent meeting of Somerset Council's Executive and said:
"Planning is one of the most important levers Somerset Council has to support economic growth.
If we want to attract investment, support businesses, deliver infrastructure and ensure the right homes are built in the right places, we need a planning service that is improving year after year, not going backwards."
The concerns come almost a year after Somerset Council introduced emergency planning measures to tackle unsustainable workloads and a growing backlog of applications.
In December 2025, Conservatives successfully secured cross-party support for a motion calling for a Planning Service Recovery Plan, measurable performance targets, action to reduce backlogs and regular reporting to councillors on progress.
Cllr Rodrigues said:
"Conservatives have consistently pushed for improvements to Somerset's planning service because we recognise how important it is to residents, businesses and the wider economy.
While progress has been made in some areas, these latest figures show that improvement is not consistent across the service and going backwards in many areas."
During the Executive meeting, officers acknowledged that some planning measures had declined but noted that some indicators remain within the targets currently set by the council.
Cllr Rodrigues said this missed the wider point:
"If a service is performing worse than it was twelve months ago, we need to understand why and what action is being taken to reverse that trend.
We support the planning officers who continue to work under significant pressure, but Somerset deserves better. It deserves a planning service that helps drive growth, supports investment and gives residents confidence that applications are being dealt with efficiently."
The council's own report identifies ongoing resource pressures within parts of the planning service and among internal consultees, which officers say continue to affect performance.
Conservatives are calling on the Liberal Democrat administration to set out how it intends to deliver sustained improvements and reduce the backlog of applications still within the system.
