Recommendation 132

We heard that where LPAs can share or pool resources and expertise it can result in greater efficiencies. Warwickshire County Council currently has 16 ecologists on staff. 176 The team operates service level agreements with the district and borough councils to review relevant planning applications and provide advice to developers for all ecological issues. This operates on a cost recovery principle. As a result, district and borough councils do not need to employ a full-time member of staff or access costly external consultant support. Whilst uncommon in England, this is like the approach to issuing environmental permits in the Netherlands. Assessment was moved from the municipality to the provinces because of the issues becoming “so complex that municipality departments do not have enough knowledge to deal with them.” This has helped developers as it ensures that appropriately qualified people are able to consider an issue. 177