Planning Inspectorate Performance update – September 2024
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.
We have made 18,458 appeal decisions in the last 12 months, an average of 1,538 per month. The number of decisions in August 2024 was 1,524.
The number of cases closed has exceeded the number of cases received for each of the past 12 months, with the exception of March and June 2024. In August we received 1,550 cases and closed 1,680. We now have 13,171 open cases.
We remain committed to removing our casework backlog so that all our casework is decided in consistent timeframes, whilst maintaining high standards in our decisions.
We continue to focus on achieving more consistent timeframes for deciding planning cases by written representations. The median decision time for August was 24 weeks compared to 30 weeks in November 2023.
We are pleased to announce that the London Borough of Barnet are the first to trial our new Beta service for Householder Appeals.
This pilot marks a crucial step forward in enhancing our Appeals service, bringing us closer to a more efficient and user-friendly process for all stakeholders. It is designed to guide users more effectively through the entire appeals process.
Median decision times
The median decision time for cases decided in August was 26 weeks. The average over the past 12 months was 28 weeks.
| 12 months to August 2024 median decision time | August 2024 median decision time | |
|---|---|---|
| Planning appeals by written representations | 27 weeks | 24 weeks |
| Planning appeals by hearing | 24 weeks | 24 weeks |
| Planning appeals by inquiry | 31 weeks | 24 weeks |
| Enforcement appeals by written representations | 51 weeks | 47 weeks |
| Enforcement appeals by hearing | 63 weeks | 45 weeks |
| Enforcement appeals by inquiry | 61 weeks | 33 weeks |
| All appeals | 28 weeks | 26 weeks |
National Infrastructure
We have a high number of Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) at various stages, but we continue to meet all statutory deadlines:
- 74 where we are providing advice before submission.
- 18 submitted and at acceptance, pre-examination, or examination.
- 4 where we are preparing our recommendation.
- 9 where the relevant Secretary of State is considering our recommendation.
So far this month two NSIPs have been granted development consent by the relevant Secretary of State:
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.