Communities and Local Government

• Planning, building and the environment
• Planning applications July to September 1997

Planning, building and the environment

Planning applications July to September 1997

DETR Press Release Number: 512

Release Date: 19 December 1997

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List of Tables

DISTRICT PLANNING AUTHORITIES

Planning applications

In the third quarter of 1997, district planning authorities in England received 130 thousand applications for planning permission and other related consents, 8 per cent more than in the corresponding period in 1996 (Table 1).

The number of applications received increased in all regions. Applications rose by 11 per cent in the South East and by 10 per cent in Merseyside and London. In contrast, in the North East they rose only 3 per cent higher than than a year earlier, (Map 1).

Planning decisions

District planning authorities made 123 thousand planning decisions in the third quarter of 1997, 7 per cent more than in the corresponding period in 1996. The number of decisions rose in all regions except the North East, where there was a fall of nearly one per cent from the corresponding quarter in 1996. The largest increases compared with a year earlier were in London (up by 12 per cent), the Eastern and the North-west regions (up by 9 per cent). (Table 2, Map 2).

The number of decisions relating to householder developments in England were 12 per cent higher than a year earlier, while decisions relating to new dwellings were 4 per cent higher (Table 3). These accounted for 41 per cent and 11 per cent of all decisions respectively.

Chart 1 shows the number of planning applications decided, and the percentage decided within 8 weeks (both actual and seasonally adjusted), in each quarter since April to June 1987.

Applications granted

District planning authorities granted 88 per cent of the applications they decided in the third quarter of 1997, the same proportion as in the corresponding period in 1996 (Table 1). Approval rates were virtually unchanged in all regions (Table 2).

Speed of decision

In the third quarter of 1997, 63 per cent of all planning decisions were made within the statutory eight week period, almost 2 percentage points lower than in the corresponding quarter of 1996 (Table 1). The percentage of decisions taken within 8 weeks fell in all regions except the South West where it rose by about 2 per cent, and in the West Midands, North-west and Merseyside regions where it remained unchanged (Table 2). Eighty five per cent of all decisions were made within 13 weeks.

Table 7 shows the number of applications decided, the percentage granted and speed of decision for each district planning authority in July to September 1997 and in the most recent 12 months. The results for speed of decision are illustrated graphically in Chart 2; this contains information for each of the authorities responding to the latest quarterly survey, ranked according to the percentage of decisions made within 8 weeks. Thirty-six authorities (10 per cent of all responding authorities) made 80 per cent or more of their decisions within the statutory eight week period. Thirteen authorities made fewer than 40 per cent of decisions within 8 weeks.

Responding Authorities for July to September 1997

Of the 373 district planning authorities, 366 provided figures in time for this publication (that is, 98 per cent of all authorities). The figures reported above and in Tables 1-3 include estimates for non-responding authorities.

Applications decided under delegated powers

Since April 1997, district planning authorities have provided information about the numbers of applications decided by planning officers under a scheme of delegation and without referral to committee or councillors.

A new column has been added to table 7 to show the percentage of such decisions. Of the 369 authorities that provided information about delegated decisions in the third quarter of 1997, only 6 % did not use delegated powers for any decisions made.

As statistics of delegated decisons in the second quarter of 1997 were not ready for publication when the last quarterly bulletin was issued, a separate supplement entitled Planning Decisions Decided by Officer Delegation: April to Sept 1997 is being published with this bulletin. It includes statistics for the April to June quarter (and for comparison the July to September quarter).

Departure applications

From April 1997, district planning authorities have provided information about the numbers of applications decided which were advertised as departures from the development plan in force, and the number of departure applications which were granted.

A total of 327 authorities (88 per cent) were able to provide this information for the period July to September 1997. Of the planning decisions taken by these authorities, 879 were advertised as departures from the development plan, just under 1 per cent of the total. Forty per cent of departures decisions were for new dwellings applications. An average of 61 per cent of departure applications were granted, compared with 88 per cent of planning applications overall.

Enforcement action by district planning authorities

Table 4 shows statistics of formal enforcement action taken by responding authorities in each year since data collection began in 1992/93 and in more recent quarters. In July to September 1997 district planning authorities issued 1,247 Enforcement Notices and served 1,176 Planning Contravention Notices, 372 Breach of Condition Notices and 46 Stop Notices. Fifteen Enforcement Injunctions were granted by the High Court or County Court and 3 were refused.

Regulation 3 and 4 consents

Table 5 shows the number of Regulation 3 and 4 Consents granted in each quarter since data collection began in October 1992.

Under Regulation 3 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, a local planning authority makes an application to itself for permission to develop land within its area, and determines that application. In the third quarter of 1997, 1,307 Regulation 3 consents were granted and 173 Regulation 4 consents were granted. Regulation 4 is concerned with planning permission for development of land in which the local planning authority has an interest but which it does not itself propose to carry out.

Applications for determination

In the third quarter of 1997, district planning authorities received 3,580 applications for determination whether local authority approval is required for certain works. This was significantly more than in earlier years, continuing the higher figures seen in the previous two quarters. (Table 6). District planning authorities decided to intervene in 823 cases (23 per cent) the highest proportion since data collection began.

COUNTY MATTERS

'County matters' planning applications are predominantly concerned with minerals extraction and waste disposal developments. They are decided by the county-level planning authorities - that is, county councils, metropolitan districts, unitary authorities, London boroughs, urban development corporations (within metropolitan areas) and national park authorities. However, because of the nature of county matters applications, the large majority are handled by the county councils.

County planning authorities receive about two thousand 'county matter' applications each year. This compares with about 470 thousand planning applications received by district planning authorities. Quarterly figures for 'county matter' decisions are likely to be much more variable than those for districts because of the smaller numbers of such decisions.

Planning applications and decisions

In the third quarter of 1997, county planning authorities received 545 planning applications (Table 8), eight percentage points fewer than in the corresponding quarter of 1996. Eighty three per cent of the total were applications to county councils and a further 11 per cent were to metropolitan districts. Derbyshire received the highest number of applications (36) in the quarter (Tables 9 & 11).

County planning authorities made 477 planning decisions in the quarter, 3 per cent fewer than a year earlier. Sixty one per cent of decisions were for waste developments and 30 per cent were for minerals developments. Essex reported the highest number of decisions (36) in the quarter (Table 11).

Ninety-one per cent of applications decided were granted, three percentage points higher than a year earlier (Table 9).

Speed of decision

In the third quarter of 1997, 13 per cent of all decisions on 'county matters' applications were made within the statutory eight week period, about two percentage points higher than in the corresponding quarter of 1996. Thirty six per cent of decisions were made within 13 weeks, and 53 per cent within 17 weeks (Table 10).

Enforcement action

County planning authorities have provided statistics on formal enforcement action taken each quarter since April 1995.

In the period July to September 1997, county planning authorities issued 43 Enforcement Notices, and served 23 Stop Notices, 72 Planning Contravention Notices and 18 Breach of Condition Notices (Table 12).

Responding authorities for January to March 1997

Of the 148 county planning authorities, 145 (98 per cent) provided figures in time for this publication.

EXPLANATORY NOTES

District Planning Authorities

The term 'district planning authorities' describes the group of authorities with responsibility for deciding planning applications at 'district-level': metropolitan and non-metropolitan districts, new unitary Authorities (those created from April 1995 onwards), London boroughs, urban development corporations and national park authorities.

Statistics of planning applications received and decided by district planning authorities have been collected on a quarterly basis since April 1979, on the PS1 and PS2 General Development Control statistical returns. Prior to April 1986 these returns covered applications and decisions under Section 29 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1971 (since replaced by Section 70 of the consolidated Town and Country Planning Act 1990 which came into force in August 1990).

Since then data collection has been extended to cover other types of application requiring permission from local authorities, including listed building consents, conservation area consents and consent to display advertisements. This reflects the wider range of planning casework handled by district planning authorities. From April 1997, data have also been collected on receipt of Environmental Statements with planning applications, on the use of delegated powers, and on applications which the authority decided to advertise as departures from the Development Plan.

District planning authorities are sent the quarterly information bulletin together with more detailed figures for individual authorities in their respective Government Office region. These provide a set of yardsticks against which authorities can judge their own figures.

'County matters'

County councils, metropolitan district councils, London borough councils and national park authorities are responsible for determining planning applications and types of development described as 'county matters'. These are predominantly concerned with minerals extraction and waste disposal developments, as set out in Schedule 1 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, the Town and Country Planning (Prescription of County Matters) Regulations 1980 (SI 1980/2010), and in Annex 7 of Planning Policy Guidance Note 23 'Planning and Pollution Control'.

Until March 1986 decisions made by county councils had been included in the returns (PS1/PS2) submitted by the district planning authorities. A review of these returns in 1985 recommended that information about county council applications should be collected separately, and a quarterly collection of county council development control statistics relating to 'county matters' planning applications (the CPS1/2 Return) was introduced from the beginning of April 1989. From April 1992 data collection was extended to cover other types of authority (listed above) with responsibility for 'county matters' applications. From April 1995, the scope of the quarterly survey was widened to include collection of data on enforcement action taken by authorities relating to 'county matters' developments, and from April 1997, data have also been collected on receipt of Environmental Statements with 'county matters' planning applications.

Data presentation

All figures included in the commentary have been calculated using unrounded data. As a result, there may be some apparent discrepancy with figures shown in the tables.

All statistics shown in Tables 1 - 6 and 8 -12 are based on information provided to the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, by 12 December 1997. Figures received from planning authorities after that date have been included only in Table 7, and only where this was possible within the publication schedule.

The reorganisation of local government in England has necessitated a change in the presentation of statistics for local authority areas. Figures for the new UAs are shown in Table 7 within the former county structure.

Where data are presented by 'type of authority' in Table 2, figures for unitary authorities are included in the category 'non-metropolitan districts'. In Tables 8 -11 (relating to 'county matters') figures are shown separately for the category 'unitary authorities'.

The primary classification for the presentation of regional statistics has changed from the Standard Statistical Regions (SSRs) to Government Office Regions (GORs) (Table 2 and Maps 1 and 2). A guide to the composition of Government Office Regions and their relationship to the Standard Statistical Regions is given at Annex A. Figures for the Standard Statistical Regions are available on request from the Planning and Land Use Statistics Division, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, 3/K9, Eland House, Bressenden Place, London SW1E 5DU Tel. 0171 - 890 5502 Fax. 0171 - 890 5519.

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Produced by Planning and Land Use Statistics (PLUS),
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