TORFAEN council fears an increase in compensation payouts as its planning enforcement team face a backlog of cases.

The council's enforcement team is facing a backlog of unresolved cases with the current number of outstanding cases standing at around 304.

A report to the council's safer communities overview and scrutiny committee last week states that the main focus of the team has been to reduce the backlog of cases and resolve all new cases within 12 weeks of receiving the complaint - a target set by the Welsh Government.

The report, by team leader of enforcement Gemma Evans, explains that progress has improved significantly since a review by the Wales Audit Office in June 2004 found the council's development control service, which included planning enforcement, was falling below performance standards set by the Welsh Government.

The team is currently closing an average of 54 percent of cases within this 12 week deadline.

But the report states that progress has now been hampered by the backlog of unresolved cases and staffing issues.

The report explains how one enforcement officer has been seconded to deal mainly with planning applications leaving just two full time officers to cover the whole borough.

The concern now is that the number of outstanding cases will rise.

Ms Evans also states that there is an increased risk of people escaping enforcement if cases are not dealt with in a certain period of time which could have serious consequences for the environment.

The report also suggests there is likely to be an increase in the number of ombudsman complaints which could lead to compensation having to be paid out to complainants.

The report says progress on the backlog and cases nearing immunity is being monitored by the team leader and the council's head of development control.