Planning performance maintained in England

English local planning authorities have maintained their improved levels of performance in handling planning applications according to the latest development control statistics.

The figures show that in respect of the targets for the three key categories (major planning applications, minor planning applications and other planning applications) in each case there was only one percentage point difference - or none at all - with performance in the year to September 2007 compared to the previous 12 months.

The statistics signalled that in the year ending September 2007, local planning authorities determined on average 71 per cent of major applications within 13 weeks, 77 per cent of minor planning applications and 88 per cent of other planning applications within eight weeks. These represent no change on processing major and other applications and a one percentage point increase for determining minor applications as compared with the previous performance checklist published in June 2007, based on performance in the year ending March 2007.

Some 64 planning authorities showed an improvement in performance while ten planning authorities were identified as "declining" performers.

They were named as Bath and North East Somerset, Dartmoor National Park, East Devon, Medway, Milton Keynes Partnership, Reading, Redbridge, Redditch, St Edmundsbury and Waverley.

Junior planning minister Iain Wright said: "I am pleased to see that performance is remaining steady overall and that a significant number of authorities are continuing to improve their performance."

Read the Communities and Local Government news release

Roger Milne

19 December 2007