§ Richard Younger-RossTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what was the average period for a planning application from date of application to decision by the local authority over the last five years. [R] [13596]
§ Ms KeebleThe information available from the Department is the percentages of applications for planning permission and related consents which are decided within eight weeks, between eight and 13 weeks and in more than 13 weeks. These are shown in the table.
Local authority performance: England, 1996–97 to 2000–01 Percentage Decisions within eight weeks Decisions in eight to 13 weeks Decisions exceeding 13 weeks 1996–97 64 21 15 1997–98 62 22 16 1998–99 62 21 17 1999–2000 63 21 16 2000–01 63 20 17
§ Richard Younger-RossTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the latest annual figures for the number of planning applications under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 in England and Wales by(a) region, (b) the number of applications passed, (c) the number sent to appeal and (d) the number of successful appeals; and if he will provide the same figures for the previous 10 years. [R] [13595]
§ Ms KeebleThe information for England is in the table. Figures for Wales are not held centrally on a consistent basis and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
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Thousands/percentage Planning applications1 Appeals against refusal2 Government office region Decided Granted Refused Received Decided Allowed Percentage of appeals allowed 1992–93 North East 16.7 15.1 1.6 0.4 0.4 0.2 39 North West 44.3 38.6 5.7 1.5 1.4 0.6 40 Yorkshire and the Humber 35.9 30.9 5.0 1.3 1.2 0.4 31 East Midlands 33.4 29.2 4.2 1.2 1.1 0.4 34 West Midlands 35.4 30.2 5.2 1.3 1.1 0.4 31 East of England 44.5 37.8 6.7 2.1 1.9 0.6 33 London 38.6 31.3 7.4 1.9 1.7 0.6 36 South East 68.0 57.0 10.9 3.6 3.2 1.1 34 South West 48.7 41.3 7.3 2.4 2.2 0.7 32 England 365.4 311.4 54.0 15.7 14.2 4.8 34 1991–92 North East 17.3 15.5 1.9 0.5 0.4 0.1 34 North West 49.3 42.0 7.3 1.8 1.6 0.6 36 Yorkshire and the Humber 40.9 34.4 6.5 1.6 1.4 0.4 30 East Midlands 36.7 31.1 5.6 1.5 1.4 0.5 33 West Midlands 39.0 32.6 6.4 1.7 1.4 0.4 30 East of England 49.7 40.8 8.9 2.7 2.5 0.8 31 London 42.5 33.5 9.0 2.2 2.0 0.7 35 South East 74.6 60.5 14.1 4.5 4.0 1.3 33 South West 54.1 44.1 10.0 3.1 2.8 0.9 32 England 404.2 334.5 69.7 19.5 17.5 5.7 32 1990–91 North East 17.5 15.5 1.9 0.5 0.5 0.1 30 North West 53.0 44.2 8.8 2.0 1.8 0.7 38 Yorkshire and the Humber 42.7 34.9 7.8 1.7 1.5 0.5 32 East Midlands 40.1 33.0 7.2 1.7 1.5 0.5 33 West Midlands 41.5 34.0 7.5 1.8 1.6 0.5 32 East of England 55.3 43.5 11.8 3.3 2.9 0.9 32 London 44.8 34.6 10.3 2.5 2.2 0.8 36 South East 82.6 65.0 17.6 5.3 4.6 1.5 32 South West 60.7 47.7 13.1 3.6 3.2 1.0 32 England 438.3 352.4 85.9 22.4 19.7 6.5 33 1 Section 70 planning applications, i.e. excludes applications for listed building, advertisement and conservation area consents. 2 Figures relate to the number of appeals against section 70 planning application: refused in the year, not the number of appeals received in the year
§ Richard Younger-RossTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what was the average period for the consideration of an appeal to a planning application, up to a refusal to grant consent, under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 over the last five years. [R] [13593]
§ Ms KeebleThe provision of information on planning appeals is the responsibility of the Planning Inspectorate. I have asked the inspectorate's Chief Executive, Mr. Chris Shepley, to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from C. J. Shepley to Richard Younger-Ross, dated 14 November 2001:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your Question about the average time taken to determine planning appeals.
The average times, in weeks, are:
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Period Written representations Hearings Inquiries 1996–97 22 41 45 1997–98 19 35 41 1998–99 16 23 32 1999–2000 16 19 28 2000–01 16 19 26 2001–021 16 20 27 1 April to September
§ Richard Younger-RossTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the average cost is to the Government of hearing planning appeals under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990; and what is the(a) maximum and (b) minimum cost, for each of the last five years. [R] [13594]
§ Ms KeebleThe Planning Inspectorate has calculated the average unit cost of processing a section 78 inquiry by written representation in each of the last five financial years to be as follows:
Year £ 2000–01 1,188 1999–2000 1,047 1998–99 854 1997–98 669 1996–97 635 The Inspectorate also effects section 78 appeals through hearings and inquiries. Unit costs for these activities have only been calculated for the previous two financial years, and are as follows.
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£ Section 78 hearings 2000–01 1,977 1999–2000 2,135 Section 78 inquiries 2000–01 5,967 1999–2000 5,617 Current methods of recording inspectorate activity do not provide for the calculation of a minimum and maximum cost in these periods.