HC Deb 24 November 1971 vol 826 cc373-5W
Mr. Loughlin

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will state the number of applications for building permission made to local planning authorities, and the number of such applications which have been refused for the years 1966, 1967, 1968, 1970 and 1971 to the nearest convenient date;

(2) if he will state the number of applications for building permission received by local planning authorities in respect of individual dwellings for the years 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970 and 1971 to the nearest convenient date; how many such applications were refused; and how many appeals have been made to him in respect of such refusals.

Mr. Michael Heseltine

Information in the precise form requested is not available. Statistics of planning applications and appeals decided are published annually in the Handbook of Statistics (Local Government, Housing and Planning) and, in respect of planning applications for 1970, in the Statistics for Town and Country Planning (Series 1, Planning decisions). These publications are in the Library of the House. Statistics for 1971 are not available.

Mr. Loughlin

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many appeals have been adjudicated upon by his Department for the years 1966, 1967, 1968, 1970 and 1971 to the nearest convenient date, either by written representations or by public inquiry; and how many such appeals were refused.

Mr. Michael Heseltine

The information relating to appeals under Section 23 of the Town and Country Planning Act. 1962, is as follows:

Appeals decided by
Year Written representations Inquiry Number refused
1966 4,022 4,557 6,707
1967 3,680 4,418 6,219
1968 3,675 2,983 4,984
1970 2,681 2,773 3,967
1971 to end October 2,084 2,297 3,376

Mr. Loughlin

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the number of appeals against local planning decisions referred to him and his predecessors in the years 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970 and 1971 to the nearest convenient date, the number resolved on the basis of written representations, the total cost incurred by his Department each year of consequent action taken necessitated by all appeals, and the total cost incurred by the local planning authorities.

Mr. Michael Heseltine

The information relating to appeals under Section 23 of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1962, is as follows:

Year Number of Appeals made Number of Appeals decided by written representations
1966 11,088 4,022
1967 10,090 3,680
1968 9,593 3,675
1969 8,212 3,141
1970 8,362 2,681
1971 to end October 7,926 2,084

I regret that the rest of the information is not available.

Mr. Loughlin

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the average period of time taken to hear appeals by the inquiry procedure and what were the number of occasions when the time lag between the hearing of the appeal and the issuing of the inspector's report has exceeded nine months and 12 months, respectively, the number of such appeals now outstanding, and the time he estimates it will take to hear such outstanding appeals.

Mr. Michael Heseltine

The average periods are currently 43 weeks for planning appeals decided by the Secretary of State and 31 weeks for those transferred to inspectors. I will write to the hon. Member about the information requested in the second part of the Question.