§ 55. Mr. Pavittasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what is the average time which elapses between the application of a local authority for planning permission and his decision; and if he will expedite decisions when they relate to areas of acute housing shortage.
§ Mr. CorfieldPlanning applications by local authorities are normally decided by the local planning authority. Where they do come before my right hon. Friend he deals with them as quickly as possible. The time taken may vary between three weeks for a straightforward proposal and several months for a contentious one where a public inquiry is necessary and there are large numbers of objections.