Performance update – July 2023
Performance and other updates following the publication of our latest official monthly statistics.
On a monthly basis, we publish the latest official statistics on appeals performance, which represent the greatest volume (in terms of number of cases) of the work of the Planning Inspectorate.
We also update the appeals handling times data to give customers the latest information on the average time it takes to receive a decision and provide an update on our other main casework areas.
Appeals
Our appeal cases are dealt with in one of three ways: written representations, hearings, or inquiries. Ministerial performance measures include an expectation to reduce average decision times over time and make our decision speeds more consistent. All our decision times are measured from the day we receive a valid appeal through to the day we issue a decision. This is the same approach Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) use for application times.
We have made 17,750 appeal decisions in the last 12 months, an average of 1,479 per month. The number of decisions in June 2023 was 1,492, slightly higher than the 12-month average.
In June we closed 243 more cases than we received, having received 1,571 and closed 1,814. We currently have 14,444 open appeals.
Median decision times
The median decision time for appeals decided in June 2023 was 32 weeks.
Planning appeals considered by an exchange of written evidence (often called “written representations”) is the area of appeals work where we make most decisions. We decided 13,948 of these appeals in the last year, which represents about 80% of our decisions. Throughout this year we are focusing on making our decision times on these appeals more consistent. The current phase of this work includes deciding more than a thousand older appeals, which will temporarily lead to average decision times increasing.
We are continuing to reduce the number of appeals awaiting a decision by hearing or inquiry, including closer older appeals. The average time for decisions can consequently vary month to month and the average over the previous year gives a better indication about how long decisions will generally take. This applies to enforcement inquiry decisions this month, where we have decided older cases as part of our improvements.
| 12 months to June 2023 median decision time | June 2023 median decision time | |
|---|---|---|
| Planning appeals by written representations | 27 weeks | 30 weeks |
| Planning appeals by hearing | 38 weeks | 33 weeks |
| Planning appeals by inquiry | 30 weeks | 30 weeks |
| Enforcement appeals by written representations | 50 weeks | 53 weeks |
| Enforcement appeals by hearing | 68 weeks | 57 weeks |
| Enforcement appeals by inquiry | 82 weeks | 101 weeks |
| All appeals | 29 weeks | 32 weeks |
National Infrastructure
The number of applications has started to rise but we continue to meet all statutory deadlines.
We have a high number of Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) at various stages:
- 72 where we are providing advice before submission
- 16 submitted and at acceptance, pre-examination, or examination
- 6 where we are preparing our recommendation
- 5 where the relevant Secretary of State is considering our recommendation
In the last month Secretary of State decisions have been made on NSIP applications following recommendations from the Planning Inspectorate, including:
Local Plans
There are currently 48 live Local Plan examinations in progress.
We encourage Local Planning Authorities (LPA) to use our advisory visits to help them get their plans in good shape and deal with challenges well before submission.