A COUNCIL planning department, which once missed Government targets, is back on track.

A backlog of applications, a manpower shortage and recruitment difficulties meant Stockton Borough Council was missing Government performance targets.

The goals require that the council determine 60 per cent of major planning applications within 13 weeks, 65 per cent of minor applications within eight weeks and 80 per cent of other applications - such as household extensions, new garages and shop conversions - within eight weeks.

Between April last year and March this year, the council's planning team completed 76 per cent of major applications, 78 per cent of minor applications and 89 per cent of other applications, within the Government mandated time scales.

Its reward has been a £55,000 planning delivery grant to fund further progress.

An increase in qualified staff and improved working systems, has allowed the department not only to met the Government targets, but to beat them.

Councillor Roy Rix, chairman of the planning committee, said: "This is a wonderful result and reflects the hard work and commitment of a lot of very skilled people.

"To make such improvements in a year is an amazing achievement.

"These fantastic figures will continue to rise because we have just been rewarded with a £55,000 planning delivery grant from the Government to pay for further improvements and we are aiming for another £80,000 to make it even better.''