Planning Inspectorate performance update

The latest performance update from the Planning Inspectorate reveals progress in reducing case backlogs, improved appeal decision times, and the launch of a beta service to enhance householder appeals.

The Planning Inspectorate has released its latest monthly performance statistics for September 2024, showing ongoing improvements in handling planning appeals, enforcement cases, and Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs). These updates highlight efforts to maintain timely decision-making while reducing case backlogs, which have been a key focus over the past year.

Appeals Performance and Case Handling

Over the last 12 months, the Planning Inspectorate made 18,458 appeal decisions, averaging 1,538 decisions per month. In August 2024 alone, 1,524 appeals were decided. Encouragingly, the number of closed cases has exceeded new cases in most months, except for March and June 2024. In August, 1,550 cases were received, and 1,680 were closed, leaving 13,171 open cases.

A significant focus has been on reducing the time taken to decide planning appeals. The median decision time for August was 26 weeks, compared to an average of 28 weeks over the past 12 months. In particular, planning appeals conducted by written representations now have a median decision time of 24 weeks—down from 30 weeks in November 2023. This improvement reflects the Inspectorate's commitment to delivering decisions faster and more consistently.

Householder Appeals Beta Service

In a notable development, the London Borough of Barnet has become the first to trial a new Beta service for householder appeals. This trial aims to create a more efficient and user-friendly appeal process for all stakeholders, marking a significant step forward in enhancing the appeal experience. The Beta service will provide better guidance to users throughout the appeal process, streamlining interactions and improving decision speeds.

Median Decision Times for Appeals

The Inspectorate reported median decision times for various types of appeals in August:

Type of Appeal	12 Months to August 2024	August 2024
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

These figures demonstrate considerable progress in decision times across appeal types, particularly for inquiries, where enforcement appeals saw a sharp reduction in median decision time from 61 weeks to 33 weeks.

National Infrastructure Projects

The Planning Inspectorate continues to handle a high volume of Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs). Currently, there are:

• 74 projects in the advisory phase before submission.
• 18 at acceptance, pre-examination, or examination stages.
• 4 preparing for a recommendation.
• 9 awaiting decisions from the relevant Secretary of State.

In September, two major NSIPs—the Cottam Solar Project and the Bramford to Twinstead Reinforcement—were granted development consent, marking key milestones in infrastructure planning.

Local Plans

The update also highlights ongoing work with Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) on Local Plans. Currently, there are 50 live Local Plan examinations. The Inspectorate encourages LPAs to take advantage of advisory visits to better prepare their plans for submission and address any challenges early on.

Conclusion

Overall, the Planning Inspectorate's September 2024 update shows promising trends toward faster decision-making, reduced backlogs, and improved case handling. With initiatives like the Beta householder appeal service, the Inspectorate is working toward a more efficient and streamlined appeal process for all stakeholders.