NEAR-bankrupt Somerset Council has come under fire this week for hiring a temporary planning director at up to £1,000 a day.

The Liberal Democrat-run council declared a financial emergency six months after it was formed in 2023, dismissed 555 staff earlier this year to cut costs, and recently put its planning department into emergency measures because it was not coping with the volume of applications.

Now, it is to recruit an interim planning director for 12 months and set aside £240,000 to pay for the post.

The senior post is being created to ‘provide additional leadership capacity to support service and cultural change’ in the planning department.

Conservative councillors criticised the decision as ‘another sign’ the Lib Dem authority had lost control of its finances, having already spent more than £33 million on agency staff since 2023 while struggling to balance its budget.

Cllr John Cook-Woodman said: “The council is paying more than the chief executive of the council, more than the Prime Minister, for a temporary officer when it is on the brink of bankruptcy.

“It is simply indefensible.

“Residents were told 555 job losses were necessary to save money, yet now the council can find almost a quarter of a million pounds for another temporary manager.

“It shows that financial discipline has gone out the window.”

Conservative group leader Cllr Diogo Rodrigues said: “Families and frontline staff are told there is no money, and services that we rely on have been cut back.

“The council says it faces a £101 million black hole in next year’s budget, yet can find a quarter of a million pounds for a temporary officer.

“It makes me wonder, are we really in a financial emergency, or is it just when it suits the administration?”

A Somerset Council spokesperson said a need for ‘enhanced leadership’ had been identified in its planning department as part of a wide-ranging programme of improvement within the service.

The spokesperson said there was a recognition of underperformance in the planning service due to a number of factors.

They said: “As such, the council is considering the appointment of an interim service director for a short period to help guide this project.

“We are still at an early stage in the recruitment process.

“The member-led appointment process has not concluded so we cannot comment on costs or salaries at this time.

“All decisions will be public.

“Planning is a specialist and hard-to-recruit area, and we will ensure the remuneration is competitive to attract the right candidate who can help deliver the best outcomes for our communities.”

The spokesperson said the focus was on strengthening relationships with applicants and agents, improving operational management and communication, introducing automation to drive efficiency, and delivering a faster, higher-quality service for customers.

They said: “We have already taken a number of actions which have resulted in improvements.

“We thank the planning team for their dedication and commitment to making progress, recognising how important this work is for Somerset and the communities we serve.”