§ Mr. HoyleTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what timescale has been put in place for regional government offices to deal with planning688W applications called in for (a) small developments, (b) major planning applications and (c) for applications dealing with tree preservation orders; [84078]
(2) what guidelines govern the time taken to make decisions on planning applications called in by the Government. [84077]
§ Mr. McNultyI have been asked to reply.
Following proposals in the Planning Green Paper, a new Planning Central Casework Division has been established in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to deal with decisions on planning applications called in by my right hon. Friend, the Deputy Prime Minister.
The Central Casework Division has a shared target with the Planning Inspectorate to decide 80 per cent, of my right, hon. Friend, the Deputy Prime Minister's cases (this includes both called in applications and recovered appeals), from close of Inquiry to decision, within 16 weeks by March 2004.
Applications dealing with tree preservation are not called in. The Government Offices for the Regions deal with appeals against local authority decisions under tree preservation orders. They have a target to decide 80 per cent, of such appeals within eight weeks of receiving the Inspecting Officer's report.