More training, improved communication and the urgent adoption of the Island Plan are among the recommendations of an independent review into the Isle of Wight Council's planning department.

It also called on the authority to urgently address a backlog of cases, including applications, pre-application advice and enforcement complaints.

Delivering its findings as a 'critical friend', the Local Government Association (LGA) Peer Challenge is delivered free and aims to bring improvement.

A councillor and senior officers from Cornwall, Colchester, the Isles of Scilly and St Albans City and District councils, as well as the LGA, worked on the review, over three days.

They gathered information from over 20 meetings and spoke to over 70 people, looking at County Hall's planning services department and its planning committee. 

While the review recognised the council's 'clear passion' for getting the best outcomes for the Isle of Wight, as well as the skills of its planning officers, it also found the authority urgently needs to finalise and adopt its Island Plan.

The team suggested an urgent review of its constitution and procedural rules, to effectively deliver its democratic function and called for support and training, better communication and a need for improvement in the planning service.

The review said there is a need to rebuild trust between councillors, officers and the community.

To deliver improvements, it called for a systematic look at planning processes and a proactive approach to communication and feedback.

Isle of Wight Council also urgently needs to address a backlog of cases, it found.

Council leader, Councillor Lora Peacey Wilcox, said: "We welcome the LGA peer challenge team to the council this week. They were incredibly perceptive, thorough and very helpful.

"We have found the process extremely valuable, enabling us to reflect on the delivery of our planning services and identifying actions and opportunities to improve, building on our strengths and a range of initiatives we already have in train or in plan.

"We look forward to receiving the full report in due course."

The Isle of Wight Council says it was not an inspection and the authority is now awaiting a full report, due next month (June).