CITY planning officers have become the latest victims of the credit crunch.
Liverpool council is looking to shed around 15% of its planners because of a significant fall in applications.
It has seen its income from planning and building control applications fall by 50% in the last two years, and warns that the lack of “major developments” has been a key factor.
The Daily Post can reveal the income from planning has fallen from £2.6m in 2007 to £1.3m this year.
Building control income has also fallen by 50% in the same period – down from £1.6m to £800,000.
The council will now have to make 17 of its 112-strong planning workforce redundant, warning that if it can’t find staff to leave voluntarily it will have to make compulsory redundancies.
Union leaders say the losses are symptomatic of the struggle facing the council in terms of budget deficits, while a council spokesman said Liverpool was “not immune” to the recession. He added: “As in all cities, there has been a slowdown in development activity which has led to fewer planning applications being submitted but there are still major developments continuing – our £500m Building Schools for the Future programme, the Housing Market Renewal Programme, the Hall Lane scheme, to name a few.
“Liverpool is not immune from the recession, but is now far better placed to take advantage of an upturn in the economy when it comes than it has been during previous recessions.
