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

2. Processing Agreements

Some local authorities use processing agreements ( Annual, 2015/16: Table 1), where the developer and the local authority agree on timescales for decisions. When an application is subject to a processing agreement it is removed from average decision time calculations and reported separately.

Chart 9: Local Development Planning Applications: Number of processing agreements.

Chart 10: Local Development Planning Applications: Percentage processed within agreed timescales.

Chart 11: Major Development Planning Applications: Number of processing agreements.

Chart 12: Major Development Planning Applications: Percentage processed within agreed timescales.

For the year 2015/16 there were 680 applications that were subject to a processing agreement and 76.6% of these were processed within agreed timescales. Of these 514 were for local developments with 78.8% processed within agreed timescales, the highest percentage since the start of the data collection in 2012/13. A further 83 were for major developments with 68.7% processed within agreed timescales, the lowest percentage since the start of the data collection in 2012/13. The 83 major applications concluded by the use of a processing agreement represents 24% of all major development applications concluded in 2015/16.

In the previous year a total of 234 applications were subject to a processing agreement, with 73.9% within agreed timescales.

26 out of 34 planning authorities used processing agreements in 2015/16 and Scottish Borders, with 213 processing agreements, had a share of almost one third of these agreements.

Some processing agreements are made at the outset of an application whereas others have been activated at a later stage.