Planning (Hansard, 27 April 2004)

§ Mr. Drew
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will monitor the practice of developers seeking planning permission to pull down houses in order to open up access to land that was previously undevelopable. [168097]

§ Keith Hill
A specific planning application to demolish a house is generally not required. This is because planning permission to carry out demolition is granted by the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995. However, where access to land has been opened up by the demolition of

Planning decisions by district planning authorities^1,2 by speed of decision: England 1979–80 to 2002–03

Applications granted Percentage of total decisions³

Financial year Applications received All decisions Thousand Percentage⁴ Number decided within 8 weeks 8 weeks 13 weeks

1979–80 582 513 446 86 312 60 86

1980–81 546 489 421 85 319 65 88

1981–82⁵ 372 404 349 86 266 65 88

1982–83 411 380 334 87 268 70 93

1983–84 430 402 354 87 278 69 90

1984–85 421 397 345 86 276 69 90

1985–86 432 401 344 85 270 67 89

1986–87⁵ 536 487 401 84 305 63 87

1987–88 598 542 446 84 310 57 84

1988–89 681 618 497 82 318 51 80

1989–90 627 597 465 80 274 46 75

1990–91 530 518 402 80 276 53 79

1991–92 509 482 382 83 291 60 83

1992–93⁵ 462 439 361 85 278 63 85

1993–94 479 446 374 87 290 65 86

1994–95 477 451 380 88 294 65 86

1995–96 456 431 363 88 280 65 86

1996–97 473 437 367 88 279 64 85

1997–98 505 462 388 88 286 62 84

1998–99 501 466 392 88 290 62 83

1999–2000 526 479 405 88 301 63 84

884W
buildings, a planning application is likely to be required to develop that land; For example, for housing. Planning applications must be determined on their merits in accordance with relevant policies in the development plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise. It would be impractical to monitor planning applications that arise in such circumstances, and there are no plans to do so.

§ Mrs. Spelman
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the average length of time taken to obtain planning permission was in(a) 2003 and (b) 1997. [168277]

§ Keith Hill
The information available 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.
For almost all applications, information on individual applications is not held centrally, so it is not possible to calculate an average time from receipt to decision.

§ Mrs. Spelman
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) how many district planning authorities' planning decisions there were, in each year since 1979; [168278]
(2) how many district planning authorities' planning applications were received in each year since 1979; [168279]
(3) how many district planning authorities' planning applications were granted in each year since 1979; [168280]
(4) how many and what percentage of district planning authorities' decisions were granted within (a) eight and (b) 13 weeks in each year since 1979. [168281]

§ Keith Hill
The available information is tabled as follows. Statistics on the speed of decision do not distinguish between decisions granted or refused. Figures for the years before 1986–87 are on a different basis from later years; they exclude advertisements, listed building consents and conservation area consents.
885W

Planning decisions by district planning authorities ^1,2 by speed of decision: England 1979–80 to 2002–03

Thousand/per cent.

Applications granted Percentage of total decisions³

Financial year Applications
received
All decisions Thousand Percentage⁴ Number
decided within
8 weeks
8 weeks 13 weeks

2000–01 543 504 422 87 316 63 83

2001–02 582 534 444 87 347 65 83

2002–03 634 586 484 86 390 67 85

¹ Includes metropolitan and non-metropolitan districts, unitary authorities, London boroughs, national park authorities and, prior to April 1998, urban development corporations.

²Figures exclude decisions on 'county matters' applications. Those are shown separately in the published annual Development Control Statistics, England.

³ The precise definitions of the time bands used are 'up to and including 56 days' and 'up to and including 91 days'.

⁴ These percentages are calculated after excluding those applications (such as determinations as to whether or not planning permission is required) which cannot be granted or refused.

⁵ Planning fees introduced on 1 April 1981. Prior to 1986–87 figures were only collected on applications decided under section 29 of the Town & Country Planning Act 1971. This excluded advertisements, listed building and conservation area consents. The present system of Lawful Development Certificates commenced on 27 July 1992.

Source:

Development Control Statistics, England particularly the 1989–90,1995–96 and the 2002–03 (ODPM website edition).

§ Mr. Clifton-Brown
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what criteria in the planning system are used to ascertain whether an environmental impact assessment is necessary. [168326]

§ Keith Hill
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is required for development which is likely to have significant effects on the environment by virtue of factors such as its nature, size or location, All development listed in Schedule 1 to The Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 1999 is assumed to have such effects, and EIA is mandatory for such development. For development listed in Schedule 2 to the Regulations, local planning authorities have to determine whether EIA will be required. In doing so they must take account of prescribed selection criteria relating to the characteristics, location and potential impact of the development. As an aid to determining whether Schedule 2 development is likely to have significant environmental effects. indicative thresholds and criteria are included in DETR Circular 02/99 which gives guidance on the operation of the 1999 Regulations.

§ Mr. Clifton-Brown
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether an accumulation of a large, number of different planning applications in the same location necessitates an environmental impact assessment. [168365]

§ Keith Hill
The need for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has to be assessed for every planning application, on the basis of whether the proposed development is likely to have significant effects on the environment. The Government's published advice on multiple applications, based on existing case law, is at paragraph 46 of DETR Circular 02/99. This states that, for the purposes of determining whether EIA is required, a particular planning application should not be considered in isolation if, in reality, it is properly to be considered as an integral part of an inevitably more substantial development.

Planning decisions by district planning authorities^1,2 by speed of decision: England 1979–80 to 2002–03
			Applications granted		Percentage of total decisions³
Financial year	Applications received	All decisions	Thousand	Percentage⁴	Number decided within 8 weeks	8 weeks	13 weeks
1979–80	582	513	446	86	312	60	86
1980–81	546	489	421	85	319	65	88
1981–82⁵	372	404	349	86	266	65	88
1982–83	411	380	334	87	268	70	93
1983–84	430	402	354	87	278	69	90
1984–85	421	397	345	86	276	69	90
1985–86	432	401	344	85	270	67	89
1986–87⁵	536	487	401	84	305	63	87
1987–88	598	542	446	84	310	57	84
1988–89	681	618	497	82	318	51	80
1989–90	627	597	465	80	274	46	75
1990–91	530	518	402	80	276	53	79
1991–92	509	482	382	83	291	60	83
1992–93⁵	462	439	361	85	278	63	85
1993–94	479	446	374	87	290	65	86
1994–95	477	451	380	88	294	65	86
1995–96	456	431	363	88	280	65	86
1996–97	473	437	367	88	279	64	85
1997–98	505	462	388	88	286	62	84
1998–99	501	466	392	88	290	62	83
1999–2000	526	479	405	88	301	63	84

Planning decisions by district planning authorities ^1,2 by speed of decision: England 1979–80 to 2002–03
Thousand/per cent.
			Applications granted		Percentage of total decisions³
Financial year	Applications received	All decisions	Thousand	Percentage⁴	Number decided within 8 weeks	8 weeks	13 weeks
2000–01	543	504	422	87	316	63	83
2001–02	582	534	444	87	347	65	83
2002–03	634	586	484	86	390	67	85
¹ Includes metropolitan and non-metropolitan districts, unitary authorities, London boroughs, national park authorities and, prior to April 1998, urban development corporations.
²Figures exclude decisions on 'county matters' applications. Those are shown separately in the published annual Development Control Statistics, England.
³ The precise definitions of the time bands used are 'up to and including 56 days' and 'up to and including 91 days'.
⁴ These percentages are calculated after excluding those applications (such as determinations as to whether or not planning permission is required) which cannot be granted or refused.
⁵ Planning fees introduced on 1 April 1981. Prior to 1986–87 figures were only collected on applications decided under section 29 of the Town & Country Planning Act 1971. This excluded advertisements, listed building and conservation area consents. The present system of Lawful Development Certificates commenced on 27 July 1992.
Source:
Development Control Statistics, England particularly the 1989–90,1995–96 and the 2002–03 (ODPM website edition).