Planning and Environmental Appeals Division (DPEA): annual review 2023 to 2024

Our Priorities

Business Improvement Objectives 2023 to 2024

We continued to look at ways of improving the service we deliver in partnership with our stakeholder group and other users of our services.

We continued to embed business improvement policies designed to broaden and deepen the skills of all reporters. Given the focus on climate change targets, Net Zero and the anticipated increase in related casework we focussed on reporting timescales for Electricity Act cases. In this regard there have been significant improvements in the average timescales taken to report to Ministers. DPEA has committed through the Onshore Wind Sector deal to report within 52 weeks in cases where an inquiry is necessary.

We continued to liaise with our stakeholders and also sister organisations in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to share and implement best practice in delivering our services.

We continued to take steps to improve our efficiency in meeting targets for making decisions on appeals and other cases.

We continued to investigate the technical and other requirements of expanding our offer of hybrid in-person/ virtual hearings and inquiries, promoting efficiency, accessibility and best use of DPEA and others’ resources.

We continued to look to reduce the time taken to decide cases and submit reports. We have continued to simplify and abbreviate the style of reports and have continued to take steps to reduce the instances where further information requests are considered necessary.

We have continued to work with PARD to progress improvements to the planning system in Scotland, in particular on NPF4 and revised development plan examination arrangements.

We have continued our programme of meetings with planning authorities to share and implement best practice on appeals and other casework. This has included continuing our work with the Improvement Service to develop and deliver training to those bodies. The Chief Reporter has continued to offer and hold meetings with local authorities to discuss the role of DPEA.

We have continued our programme of early engagement with planning authorities to better facilitate the submission of local developments plans for examination. The focus of this has mainly been on the Gate Check. We have commenced liaison of a similar nature in relation to Core Path Plans.

We have further developed our IT systems both in terms of service improvements but also an anticipated move to the Cloud in the second half of 2024.

Business Improvement Objectives 2024 to 2025

We will continue to look at ways of improving the service we deliver in partnership with our stakeholder group and other users of our services.

We will continue to embed business improvement policies designed to broaden and deepen the skills of all reporters. Given the focus on climate change targets, Net Zero and the anticipated increase in related casework we will focus on improving timescales for reporting.

We will continue to liaise with our stakeholders and sister organisations in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to share and implement best practice in delivering our services.

We will continue to take steps to improve our efficiency in meeting targets for making decisions on appeals and other cases.

We will continue to investigate the technical and other requirements of expanding our offer of hybrid in-person/ virtual hearings and inquiries, promoting efficiency, accessibility and best use of DPEA and others resources.

We will continue to look to reduce the time taken to decide cases and submit reports. We will look for further opportunities to simplify our approach to reports and continue to take steps to reduce cases where further information requests are necessary.

We will continue to work with PARD to progress improvements to the planning system in Scotland.

We will continue our programme of meetings with councils to share and implement best practice on appeals and other casework. This will include continuing our work with the Improvement Service to develop and deliver training to planning authorities. The Chief Reporter will continue to offer and hold meetings with local authorities to discuss the role of DPEA.

We will continue our programme of early engagement with planning authorities to better facilitate the submission of Evidence Reports, Local Developments Plans and Core Path Plans.

We will look to further develop our IT systems where budgets allow.