Westminster council has been given five times more money than the City Corporation to improve its planning system.
The West End council was allocated £474,679 of the government’s £50m package to improve resources for planning authorities, while its neighbour, the City of London, received the bare minimum of £75,000.
The government has allocated £50m to local authorities for the year, out of its £350m three-year grant.
A minimum of £75,000 has been allocated to each authority this year, with the exception of county councils, but future money will be entirely linked to improved performance.
The grant will rise to £130m in 2004/05 and £170m in 2005/06.
According to planning minister Tony McNulty, increased resources went to authorities that had consistently processed applications within the deadlines, and those in areas of high housing demand.
Barnet and Hounslow also received over £400,000.
But critics have said the money would not be enough to create the cultural change in planning required, or to implement the changes proposed in the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill.
Research by political consultancy firm the PPS Group published this week said only 16% of authorities thought they would have enough resources to make the changes.
References: EGi News 14/02/2003
