HC Deb 19 May 1998 vol 312 cc311-2W
Mr. Gareth R. Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what performance targets have been set for the Department of the Environment's Planning Service in 1998–99. [42907]

Marjorie Mowlam

For 1998–99, the following performance targets have been set for the Planning Service:

To publish the following development plans in draft form by 31 March 1999:

  • Cookstown
  • Armagh Countryside proposals
  • Craigavon

To adopt the following development plans by 31 March 1999:

  • Belfast Road Lines
  • Antrim Area Plan alteration

Quality of Service

  1. 1. To achieve a customer satisfaction level of 80 in relation to the determination of planning applications.
  2. 2. To take 75 per cent. of Minor planning applications to District Council within 8 weeks.
  3. 3. To take 65 per cent. of Major planning applications to District Council within 8 weeks.
  4. 4. To issue 60 per cent. of all planning decisions with 7 working days of final District Council consultation.
  5. 5. To reduce the proportion of invalid planning applications received by 5 per cent. to 25 per cent. overall.
  6. 6. To issue responses to 93 per cent. of property inquiries within 10 working days.

Efficiency

  1. 1. To achieve 3 per cent. efficiency gains on running cost expenditure.
  2. 2. To reduce Property Certificate Unit costs by 1.5 per cent.
  3. 3. To achieve an average Unit Cost for planning applications not exceeding £2,885.

Financial Performance

  1. 1. To maintain expenditure within cash limits and to approved budget plans.
  2. 2. To maintain full recovery of the costs of determining planning applications.
  3. 3. To maintain full recovery of the costs of responding to property inquiries.