Performance update – June 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.
The number of decisions in May 2023 was 1,444, close to the 12-month average of 1,454. In May we received more appeals (1,745) than we closed (1,625). Over the period since December 2022, we have closed more appeals than we have received. We currently have 14,649 open appeals.
Median decision times
The median decision time for appeals decided in May 2023 was 30 weeks.
Planning appeals considered by an exchange of written evidence (often called “written representations”) is the area of appeals casework where we make the most decisions. We decided 13,705 of these appeals in the last year, which represents around 80% of all 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 closing 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 hearing and inquiry decisions this month, where we have decided older cases as part of our improvements.
| 12 months to May 2023 median decision time | May 2023 median decision time | |
|---|---|---|
| Planning appeals by written representations | 27 weeks | 29 weeks |
| Planning appeals by hearing | 40 weeks | 40 weeks |
| Planning appeals by inquiry | 30 weeks | 29 weeks |
| Enforcement appeals by written representations | 48 weeks | 57 weeks |
| Enforcement appeals by hearing | 69 weeks | 79 weeks |
| Enforcement appeals by inquiry | 82 weeks | 149 weeks |
| All appeals | 29 weeks | 30 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:
- 74 where we are providing advice before submission
- 19 submitted and at acceptance, pre-examination, or examination
- 4 where we are preparing our recommendation
- 7 where the relevant Secretary of State is considering our recommendation
Local Plans
There are currently 51 live Local Plan examinations in progress and 11 reports have been issued this year so far including Bexley, Calderdale, Epping Forest, and Guildford.
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.