HC Deb 13 June 1973 vol 857 cc318-9W
33. Mr. Sydney Chapman

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is satisfied with the working of the measures he has taken to expedite decisions on planning applications and to reduce the time between the lodging of appeals and decisions by his inspectors or himself.

Mr. Graham Page

Since the reply given by my right hon. and learned Friend on 7th March—[Vol. 852, c. 402–3.]—a draft circular on streamlining planning and appeal procedures has been prepared and new guidelines for housing applications and appeals have been sent to the local authority associations for comment. The inspectorate has been increased by over 60 per cent. in the last six months and recruitment is continuing, though this in itself is not a complete answer. The intake of appeals continues to rise and it will be some time before the action taken and in prospect will show an improvement in overall performance.

Mr. Tope

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is now the average time between the lodging of a planning appeal and a decision thereon: (a) when it goes to inquiry and (b) when it is decided on written representations.

Mr. Graham Page

The average time taken on those appeals decided in April 1973 after a local inquiry was 56 weeks where the decision was taken by my right hon. and learned Friend, and 41 weeks where the decision was taken by an inspector. Comparable figures for appeals decided by the written method were 50 weeks and 36 weeks.