Planning performance statistics: annual and quarterly reports, 2012-2016

14. Annex

14.1 Stopping the Clock

In some cases it is appropriate to remove a length of time from the total decision time. We have called this process of removing a specific length of time "stopping the clock". This should not be used for every application; it is about recording the data in a way that produces more accurate and relevant performance statistics that would otherwise have been skewed by extreme cases of delay outwith the planning authority's control. For the year 2015/16 there were a total of 1,402 applications where the clock was stopped for an average of 30.8 weeks. This compares with 955 applications stopped for an average of 36.1 weeks in the previous year. This improvement in reporting will have an influence on average decision times. The table below shows the number of applications where the clock has been stopped by planning authority.

Table 9: Clock stops by planning authority, 2015/16 ¹

Planning Authority	Total applications decided in 2015/16	Number of applications with clock stopped	Percentage of applications with clock stopped	Average length of time clock stopped (weeks)
Aberdeen City	1,466	177	12.1%	24.2
Aberdeenshire	3,126	115	3.7%	5.2
Angus	885	32	3.6%	16.7
Argyll & Bute	1,247	44	3.5%	24.6
Cairngorms NP	7	3	42.9%	18.9
Clackmannanshire	243	6	2.5%	11.3
Dumfries & Galloway	1,307	15	1.1%	58.2
Dundee City	683	50	7.3%	12.0
East Ayrshire	572	35	6.1%	18.1
East Dunbartonshire	715	50	7.0%	9.1
East Lothian	1,001	25	2.5%	36.6
East Renfrewshire	675	13	1.9%	20.3
Edinburgh, City of	3,688	33	0.9%	52.6
Falkirk	583	46	7.9%	55.2
Fife	2,424	9	0.4%	23.3
Glasgow City	2,495	130	5.2%	23.0
Highland	2,778	40	1.4%	87.8
Inverclyde	360	12	3.3%	10.5
Loch Lomond & The Trossachs NP	318	3	0.9%	46.0
Midlothian	589	5	0.8%	138.8
Moray	808	9	1.1%	8.0
Na h-Eileanan Siar	386	6	1.6%	18.9
North Ayrshire	559	20	3.6%	27.4
North Lanarkshire	1,040	39	3.8%	34.8
Orkney Islands	505	48	9.5%	19.7
Perth & Kinross	1,714	89	5.2%	58.9
Renfrewshire	729	9	1.2%	8.3
Scottish Borders	1,105	57	5.2%	124.5
Shetland Islands	368	41	11.1%	6.7
South Ayrshire	983	7	0.7%	23.1
South Lanarkshire	1,619	57	3.5%	29.7
Stirling	736	12	1.6%	54.6
West Dunbartonshire	270	42	15.6%	22.0
West Lothian	782	123	15.7%	13.9
SCOTLAND	36,766	1,402	3.8%	30.8

1. Processing Agreements are not included in this analysis.

The following table gives an analysis of applications where the clock has been stopped by development type.

Table 10: Clock stops by development type

Development Type	Total applications decided in 2015/16	Number of applications with clock stopped	Percentage of applications with clock stopped	Average length of time clock stopped (weeks)
Local developments
Householder	13,644	218	1.6%	9.4
Other developments	6,132	246	4.0%	25.3
Housing	5,616	479	8.5%	41.6
Business and Industry	1,944	81	4.2%	23.1
Electricity Generation	561	59	10.5%	32.5
Telecommunications	441	11	2.5%	11.7
AMSCs	319	27	8.5%	11.1
Minerals	40	9	22.5%	106.7
Marine Shellfish Farming	41	2	4.9%	7.6
Marine Finfish Farming	34	10	29.4%	14.3
Waste Management	22	0	0.0%	-
Freshwater Fish Farming	9	1	11.1%	202.0
Local developments - TOTAL	28,803	1143	4.0%	29.5
Major developments
Other Developments	110	23	20.9%	48.8
Housing	105	39	37.1%	128.8
Business and Industry	23	6	26.1%	25.0
Minerals	18	6	33.3%	83.0
Electricity Generation	17	5	29.4%	44.7
Waste Management	9	1	11.1%	60.1
Marine Shellfish Farming	1	0	0.0%	-
Freshwater Fish Farming	0	0	-	-
Marine Finfish Farming	0	0	-	-
Major developments - TOTAL	283	80	28.3%	88.5
Other Consents
Listed bldg.+con.area consents	3,683	107	2.9%	13.8
Advertisements	2,190	46	2.1%	11.3
Other consents and certificates	1,742	9	0.5%	9.9
Hazardous substances consents	15	8	53.3%	12.8
Other Consents - TOTAL	7,630	170	2.2%	12.9
Local with EIA
Local Developments Subject To EIA	50	9	18.0%	20.2
AMSCs (Subject to EIA)	0	-	-	-
Local with EIA - TOTAL	50	9	18.0%	20.2

For 2015/16, local housing developments have the most applications where the clock has been stopped, with 41.6 weeks on average removed from decision times. This represents 8.5% of all applications for local housing developments. There are a variety of reasons why the clock is stopped but are often due to delays in concluding legal agreements and waiting for the applicant to sign a planning obligation. Other reasons include site survey required in relation to European protected species that must await a particular season, external consultants delay or awaiting advert fees to be paid.

Stop the clock advice has been issued to planning authorities to help with decisions for stopping the clock and is available at;

http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Planning/DataSupplierArea

14.2 Distribution of decision times for major applications.

Chart 58 shows the distribution of the decision times for major housing applications (post 3rd August 2009) that were concluded in 2015/16.

Chart 58: Distribution of decision times for major housing applications (post 3rd August 2009), 2015/16 (excludes 10 legacy cases)

The vertical line at 40.0 weeks shows the mean (average) decision time for major housing developments. The second line at 28.0 weeks shows the median decision time. Decision times range from 1.9 weeks to 249.1 weeks. The chart shows that the mean decision time has been skewed by several lengthy decisions. Almost two thirds of major housing applications were decided in a time quicker than the average of 40.0 weeks. Almost half of major housing applications were decided within 6 months.

The three lengthiest decisions that all took more than 150 weeks are one each in Aberdeenshire, East Ayrshire and West Lothian. The Aberdeenshire application was for a residential development, primary education provision and associated infrastructure including roads and drainage, the East Ayrshire application was for 299 residential units, with associated access, drainage and landscaping proposals and the West Lothian application is described as a 10 hectare residential development with associated roads and landscaping. The Aberdeenshire and West Lothian applications were approved, but the East Ayrshire application was refused.

Chart 59 shows the distribution of the decision times for other major applications (post 3rd August 2009) that were concluded in 2015/16. This is the category for developments that do not fall into one of the other specific categories of application and includes, for example, applications for retail developments, food and drink outlets, hotels, hospitals, schools and leisure & tourism developments.

Chart 59: Distribution of decision times for other major applications (post 3rd August 2009), 2015/16 (excludes 3 legacy cases)

The vertical line at 24.6 weeks shows the mean (average) decision time for other major developments. The second line at 17.3 weeks shows the median decision time. Decision times range from 5.0 weeks to 207.9 weeks. The chart shows that the average decision time has been skewed by several lengthy decisions. Almost two thirds of other major applications were decided in a time quicker than the average of 24.6 weeks and 70% were decided within 6 months.

The lengthiest decision that took 207.9 weeks is in Falkirk Local Authority and is described as a residential and mixed use phased development, including up to 1,500 residential units, community and enterprise facilities, transport and environmental infrastructure and employment space. The application was refused.

Chart 60 shows the distribution of the decision times for major business and industry applications (post 3rd August 2009) that were concluded in 2015/16.

Chart 60: Distribution of decision times for major business and industry applications (post 3rd August 2009), 2015/16 (there were no legacy cases)

The vertical line at 19.9 weeks shows the mean (average) decision time for major business and industry developments. The second line at 16.3 weeks shows the median decision time. Decision times range from 7.1 weeks to 109.0 weeks. The average decision time has been skewed by one lengthy decision that increases the average by four weeks. More than 78% of major business and industry applications were decided in a time quicker than the average of 19.9 weeks and more than 91% were decided within 6 months.

The lengthiest decision that took 109.0 weeks is in Aberdeenshire and is described as the erection of business, industrial, storage and distribution, hotel and associated infrastructure. The application was approved.

Chart 61 shows the distribution of the decision times for the remaining major applications (post 3rd August 2009) that were concluded in 2015/16. These include applications for minerals, waste management, electricity generation and marine shellfish farming.

Chart 61: Distribution of decision times for remaining major applications (post 3rd August 2009), 2015/16 (excludes 3 legacy cases)

The vertical line at 30.1 weeks shows the mean (average) decision time for the remaining major developments. The second line at 20.8 weeks shows the median decision time. Decision times range from 4.0 weeks to 178.9 weeks. The chart shows that the average decision time has been skewed by several lengthy decisions. Almost 79% of the remaining major applications were decided in a time quicker than the average of 30.0 weeks and 64% were decided within 6 months.

The lengthiest decision that took 178.9 weeks is in South Lanarkshire and is described as an extension to sand and gravel quarry, including retention of site processing area, with restoration to rough grazing. The application was approved.

14.3 Planning Performance Guidance

Detailed guidance is available to planning authorities to help with submission of quarterly data. This can be found here:

http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Planning/DataSupplierArea

14.4 Calculation of cut-off date for 2 month target

Months are measured from a specific day in one month until the day with the preceding date in the following or subsequent months. Further guidelines on how this is calculated can be found here:

http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Planning/DataSupplierArea

14.5 Revisions

The revisions policy for planning performance statistics has been developed in accordance with the UK Statistics Authority Code of practice for Official Statistics and further details are available at: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Planning/Revisions

During the analysis of annual figures for 2015/16 there have been a very small number of changes to previously published quarterly data, which have been incorporated into annual summaries.

The quarterly revisions have been footnoted in the latest publication:

Planning Authority Performance Statistics 2015/16 Quarter 4

14.6 Uses of the Statistics

The key objective of the statistics is to allow Scottish Government and the planning authorities to monitor the performance of planning authorities in the timeliness of deciding planning applications. The statistics monitor the impact of the development management system, part of the modernising planning agenda, which was implemented on 3rd August 2009. These statistics also feed into the evidence used in the territorial liaison meetings between Scottish Government Department for Built Environment officials and planning authorities. Further details are available at: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Planning/DataUses

14.7 Statistics for other UK countries

Information and statistics on planning applications for the other UK countries can be accessed at the following links:

England: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/planning-applications-statistics

Wales: http://wales.gov.uk/topics/planning/planningstats/?lang=en

Northern Ireland: http://www.planningni.gov.uk/index/tools/about-statistics.htm