§ 77. Mr. Sydney Chapmanasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total estimated cost to the Exchequer of public inquiries held into appeals against refusals of planning applications in the financial year 1971–72.
§ Mr. Graham Page:I regret that this information is not available. However the total estimated cost to the Exchequer of the salaried Planning Inspectorate in the financial year 1971–72 is about £1 million; during this period some 5,000 local inquiries and 3.000 site visits took place.
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§ Mr. Evelyn Kingasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what on average is the time gap between a planning appeal and the hearing of that appeal in Great Britain, in London and in south-western England, respectively.
§ Mr. Graham Page:For appeals where the local inquiry was held in April, 1972, the average times were 27 weeks in England, 24 weeks in London and 27 weeks in south-west England.
§ Mr. Sydney Chapmanasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total number of appeals against outline and detailed planning decisions by local planning authorities in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and what proportion of these were dealt with by means of public inquiry and exchange of written statements, respectively.
§ Mr. Graham Page:Of the 5,516 appeals decided during 1971, 3,504 were stated to be against decisions on outline planning applications. Fifty-two per cent. of appeals were dealt with by local inquiry and 48 per cent. by the written method.