§ Mr. Robert BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the average period of time for holding an inquiry into a planning appeal, from the date of the original planning application to the local authority to the commencement of the inquiry.
§ Mrs. RoeFor the 1,922 planning appeals decided in 1987, following public inquiries, the median time from the date of the planning application to the start of the inquiry was 54 weeks. It must be borne in mind that an appeal can be lodged at any time up to six months after the local planning authority's decision, or after the date by which that decision should have been made.