Planning applications and rate of determinations slightly up

English planning authorities carrying out district-level development control activities received 649,000 planning applications during the year up to April 2008. This was a one per cent increase on the previous 12 month period, according to the latest official statistics. During the year in question some 596,000 applications were determined by planning authorities, an increase of two per cent on the preceding 12 months.

Other key points from these latest figures, compiled by the UK Statistics Authority, showed that some 82 per cent of applications approved, unchanged compared to the position in 2006-07.

The figures also showed that in 2007-08 some 71 per cent of decisions on major planning applications were made within the statutory 13-week period, 28 percentage points higher than in 2002-03 but unchanged on the previous year.

As in the past, 50 per cent of all decisions were on householder applications and 13 per cent overall were for dwellings. During 2007-08 district-level planning authorities issued 5,565 enforcement notices, up one per cent on last year and served 5,039 planning contravention notices, the lowest since 2004-05.

County planning authorities received 1,816 applications for "county matter" developments and made 1,496 decisions over the period, a one per cent increase and a five per cent decrease respectively. Some 70 per cent of these were for waste developments.

Some 21 per cent of "county" planning decisions were made within eight weeks and 61 per cent within 13 weeks.

Read the Communities and Local Government summary and access the statistics.

Roger Milne

4th September 2008