§ Dr. MurrisonTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the1104W average time was to process planning applications by each planning authority in England over the last 12 months. [34412]
§ Ms KeebleThe information needed to determine the average time for planning applications to be processed is collected centrally only for a small number of applications mainly relating to mineral extraction and waste disposal (known as "county matters"). These applications, which account for less than 1 per cent. of all planning applications, are often complex and take some time to determine.
The speed at which decisions are made for the vast majority of planning applications, ie all except "county matters", is measured in terms of the proportion of decisions determined within eight weeks and within 13 weeks. In the year ending September 2001, 63 per cent. of these applications in England were determined within eight weeks and 83 per cent. within 13 weeks.
More detailed information for each local authority in England on how quickly they process planning applications (using the eight and 13 week criteria) is published by the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions in its quarterly Statistics of Planning Applications Bulletin and its annual Development Control Statistics Report. Copies are available in the Libraries of the House.