Performance update – October 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 as Local Planning Authorities.
The Planning Inspectorate made 18,221 appeal decisions in the last 12 months. In September we made 1,624 decisions, more than 100 above the average over the last 12 months (1,518).
We are continuing to reduce our caseload, closing 258 more cases than we received in September. We had 14,052 open cases at the end of September, the fewest in the last 12 months. Reducing our open caseload is critical to speeding up our decisions and making our decision times more consistent.
Median decision times
The median decision time for cases decided in September 2023 was 31 weeks, matching the 12-month average.
We continue our work on making decision times more consistent for appeals decided by written representations. These appeals are the largest volume of our casework. The focus includes deciding many older appeals, which is contributing to median decision times for these appeals currently being higher than the year overall. This pattern is likely to continue into 2024.
Our good progress in reducing the number of cases awaiting decision by inquiry or hearing continues. This is translating into faster average decision times for planning appeals by hearing. In September, the decision time for planning appeals decided by inquiry rose sharply due to two groups of appeals totalling 24 decisions: 17 relating to touring caravans in Lincolnshire and seven relating to Green Belt residential proposals across The Wirral Peninsula. We anticipate median decision times for planning inquiries to return to around previous levels in October.
| 12 months to September 2023 median decision time | September 2023 median decision time | |
|---|---|---|
| Planning appeals by written representations | 28 weeks | 30 weeks |
| Planning appeals by hearing | 31 weeks | 25 weeks |
| Planning appeals by inquiry | 31 weeks | 62 weeks |
| Enforcement appeals by written representations | 51 weeks | 48 weeks |
| Enforcement appeals by hearing | 68 weeks | 75 weeks |
| Enforcement appeals by inquiry | 84 weeks | 95 weeks |
| All appeals | 31 weeks | 31 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:
- 73 where we are providing advice before submission
- 16 submitted and at acceptance, pre-examination, or examination
- 5 where we are preparing our recommendation
- 8 where the relevant Secretary of State is considering our recommendation
The continuous work to examine NSIPs is key to the economic growth of the country. In this blog we give an update on developments being made to the online service for NSIPs. The goal is to make it easier and more intuitive for people to take part in the NSIP process.
Local Plans
There are currently 50 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.