Councillors paid tribute to one of the longest-serving and most senior officials at Brighton and Hove City Council who is leaving after 28 years.
Liz Hobden joined the planning department in 1995 and became head of planning in 2017.
She is off to the Local Government Association (LGA) which describes itself as “the national voice of local government”, working with councils to support, promote and improve the sector.
Labour councillor Liz Loughran, who chairs the council’s Planning Committee, led the tributes at Ms Hobden’s final meeting yesterday (Wednesday 4 October).
Councillor Loughran said that Ms Hobden had improved the efficiency of the planning department, with 90 per cent of major and minor applications now determined within the government’s recommended timeframe.
She also praised Ms Hobden’s leadership for her proactive work in reducing the number of cases going to appeal or requiring enforcement action.
Councillor Loughran said: “Liz is very hard-working which I can personally attest to. She leaves on a high night with an accomplished record of achievement.”
There was also praise from Labour councillor Julie Cattell, a former chair of the Planning Committee, who also previously worked as a planning officer, joining the council in 1998.
Councillor Cattell said: “She’s always very welcoming and helpful. She became head of planning when I was chair of planning and I was delighted she got that job.
“We worked through quite a few issues. There was a lot going on. She’s leaving the place in much better shape.”
Conservative councillor Carol Theobald, a long-standing member of the Planning Committee, said: “I’ve known Liz a long time. I’ve been here a long time!
“She’s always been very helpful if you’ve got any problems or queries and always answered them very swiftly. It’s sad she’s going after such a long time.”
Ms Hobden said: “It’s been an absolute privilege working in such a wonderful and unique city as Brighton and Hove.
“I’ve loved working here and I’m really proud of the work that I’ve done here with my team.
“A lot of the improvements are down to the work of my officers and my managers as well.”
Planning manager Nicola Hurley is stepping up as interim chief planning officer.
Personally I believe she’s mad a complete mess of the job, student blocks, cycle lanes everywhere. I’ve put in two requests for planning and the council have missed their own timescales, which in turn has cost me more expense to go to appeal to the Planning Inspector in Bristol who’s approved both.
The implication here is that Planning has been separated from the over-arching City Regeneration and Planning Dept. It does seem in recent months that the decisions on the Planning Portal have mainly concerned house extensions, tree-lopping and minor alterations to previously-imposed conditionsetc, so what is going on? Does the City Regeneration operation still exist and, if it does, who is in charge of it and what does it do? In other words, who and what is in charge of very major projects? Obviously, there is something going on behind the scenes, so some clarity and transparency on this issue would be very welcome.
Very reasonable question, have you posed it to your Ward Councillor, who should be able to get you an answer?