South Staffordshire Council bucks national trend amid reports of widespread planning enforcement failures

South Staffordshire Council (SSDC) is bucking the trend as a new ombudsman report warns that many councils across England are 'losing control' of planning enforcement.

A new report from the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman revealed that many local authorities are struggling to keep up with planning enforcement - but SSDC is standing out as a positive exception.

According to the ombudsman, some councils are facing long delays, drifting cases and missed deadlines because of understaffing and growing backlogs. In several examples, councils were unable to act because cases had been left for too long or vital steps were missed.

However, unlike the national picture, SSDC has a strong Planning Enforcement Team that is currently handling 155 live cases and are keeping them under regular review to prevent the 'case drift' highlighted in the ombudsman's report.

The council also performed strongly in 2025, receiving 273 reports of alleged breaches and investigating and closing 269 cases within the same period. This high level of activity shows a service that is keeping control, even as many councils elsewhere are falling behind.

Councillor Mark Evans, cabinet member for planning and enterprise at South Staffordshire Council, said: "South Staffordshire Council remains committed to protecting communities, ensuring planning rules are followed, and taking action when they are not.

"While it is disappointing to hear reports of issues across the country, I am very pleased that our strong planning team stands apart against the issues raised by the ombudsman - both in terms of the national picture and that on a local level."

Regional data also supports SSDC's strong performance amongst its peers, placing South Staffordshire among the most active planning authorities in the West Midlands, with some councils issuing very few - or even no - enforcement notices over the same period.

The council's firm approach continues into 2026. Just last week, SSDC successfully brought three separate cases to court for failure to comply with Enforcement Notices. All three defendants were found guilty and fined between £580 and £2,100. The ombudsman's report notes that many councils struggle to reach this stage due to poor communication or administrative delays, making SSDC's success stand out.