Planning performance statistics: first quarter, 2016-2017

2. Local Developments

Local developments include applications for changes to individual houses and smaller developments for new housing as well as other applications covering areas of development such as, minerals, business & industry, waste management, electricity generation, freshwater fish farming, marine finfish farming, marine shellfish farming, telecommunications, approval of matters specified in conditions ( AMSCs ^[2] ) and other developments. The category "other developments" includes all developments and uses not covered in the list above. It includes applications for retail developments, food and drink outlets, hotels, hospitals, schools and leisure & tourism developments.

Details for the classification of all development types can be found here: http://www.gov.scot/Resource/Doc/278390/0083657.pdf

This section presents quarterly information on average timescales across all local developments, along with separate figures for the key categories of householder, housing, business and industry and other developments. Information on other more detailed categories of developments is reported on an annual rather than quarterly basis.

2.1 All Local Developments

There were 7,329 local applications (validated post 3rd August 2009) decided during the first quarter of 2016/17, with an overall average decision time of 8.9 weeks, quicker by almost a week and a half compared to the previous quarter (10.3 weeks), and the quickest average decision time since the start of this data collection in quarter one of 2012/13. ( Quarter 1, 2016/17 - Tables 3 & 4)

Chart 5: All Local Developments: Number of decisions

Chart 6: All Local Developments: Average decision time (weeks)

Chart 7: All Local Developments: Percentage of decisions within two months

This quarter the percentage of decisions made in less than two months was 78.0%, more than 9% higher than 68.9% in the previous quarter and the highest percentage since the start of this data collection in quarter one of 2012/13.

When the one legacy case is included in quarter one the average decision time remains the same at 8.9 weeks and the percentage of decisions within two months also remains unchanged at 78.0%.

At local authority level Highland made the most decisions on local developments (587 applications), taking on average 10.5 weeks for a decision.

In addition, there were 215 local developments decided in the first quarter of 2016/17 that had processing agreements in place, with almost 80% of these meeting agreed timescales. Developments with processing agreements are not included in average time calculations.

2.2 All Local (Non Householder) Developments

There were 3,500 local (non householder) developments decided during the first quarter of 2016/17, with an overall average decision time of 10.8 weeks. This is the quickest average decision time since the start of this data collection in quarter one of 2012/13.

Chart 8: All Local Developments (Non Householder): Number of decisions

Chart 9: All Local Developments (Non Householder): Average decision time (weeks)

Chart 10: All Local Developments (Non Householder): Percentage of decisions within two months

The percentage of local (non householder) developments decided within two months is 65.6%, up from the previous quarter (58.3%) and the highest percentage since the start of this data collection in quarter one of 2012/13. ( Quarter 1, 2016/17 - Table 5)

When the one legacy case is included, the average decision time for quarter one of 2016/17 increases slightly from 10.8 weeks to 10.9 weeks and the percentage of decisions within two months remains unchanged at 65.6%.

2.3 Householder Developments

These include all applications for development in the curtilage of a residential property which are not change of use, for example: extensions, alterations to garages, swimming pools, walls, fences, driveways or porches.

There were 3,829 householder applications decided during the first quarter of 2016/17, with an overall average decision time of 7.1 weeks, more than 4 days quicker than the previous quarter (7.7 weeks). This is the quickest average decision time since the start of this data collection in quarter one of 2012/13.

Chart 11: Householder Developments: Number of decisions

Chart 12: Householder Developments: Average decision time (weeks)

Chart 13: Householder Developments: Percentage of decisions within two months

The percentage of householder applications decided within two months is 89.4%, up from the previous quarter (80.8%) and the highest percentage since the start of this data collection in quarter one of 2012/13. ( Quarter 1, 2016/17 - Table 6)

There were no householder legacy cases decided in quarter one of 2016/17.

2.4 Local Housing Developments

Local Housing developments are those that have less than 50 dwellings and with a site area that is less than 2 hectares.

In quarter one of 2016/17 there were 1,262 decisions made on local housing applications. The overall average decision time was 12.5 weeks, quicker by more than two weeks compared to the previous quarter (14.7 weeks) and one week quicker than the equivalent quarter in 2015/16 (13.5 weeks). This is the quickest average decision time since the start of this data collection in quarter one of 2012/13.

Chart 14: Local Housing Developments: Number of decisions

Chart 15: Local Housing Developments: Average decision time (weeks)

Chart 16: Local Housing Developments: Percentage of decisions within two months

The percentage of local housing applications decided within two months was 58.4%, higher than both the previous quarter (52.4%) and quarter one of 2015/16 (58.2%). This is the highest percentage since the start of this data collection in quarter one of 2012/13. ( Quarter 1, 2016/17 - Table 8)

There were a further 89 local housing applications concluded that were subject to separate processing agreements, of which 66 (74.2%) met the agreed timescale.

When the one legacy case is included the average decision time for quarter one increases from 12.5 weeks to 12.7 weeks, and the percentage of decisions made within two months remains the same at 58.4%.

2.5 Local Business and Industry Developments

Local Business and Industry developments are those with floor space less than 10,000 square metres and with a site area less than 2 hectares.

There were 481 local business and industry applications decided during the first quarter of 2016/17, with an overall average decision time of 8.6 weeks, quicker by more than two weeks compared to the previous quarter (10.7 weeks) and the quickest average decision time since the start of this data collection in quarter one of 2012/13.

Chart 17: Local Business and Industry Developments: Number of decisions

Chart 18: Local Business and Industry Developments: Average decision time (weeks)

Chart 19: Local Business and Industry Developments: Percentage of decisions within two months

The percentage of local business and industry applications decided within two months was 75.1%, up from the previous quarter (62.9%). This is the highest percentage since the start of this data collection in quarter one of 2012/13. ( Quarter 1, 2016/17 - Table 10)

There were no local business and industry legacy cases decided in quarter one of 2016/17.

2.6 Local Other Developments

The category "other developments" includes all developments and uses not covered in one of the other specific categories of application. It includes applications for retail developments, food and drink outlets, hotels, hospitals, schools and leisure & tourism developments but excludes local developments for householder, minerals, housing, business & industry, waste management, electricity generation, fish farming, telecommunications and AMSCs. Local other developments are those where the gross floor space of any building, structure or erection as a result of such development is less than 5,000 square metres or the area of the site is less than 2 hectares.

There were 1,514 local other developments decided during the first quarter of 2016/17, with an overall average decision time of 9.7 weeks, quicker than both the previous quarter (10.8 weeks), and the equivalent quarter one figures for previous years. This is the quickest average decision time since the start of this data collection in quarter one of 2012/13.

Chart 20: Local Other Developments: Number of decisions

Chart 21: Local Other Developments: Average decision time (weeks)

Chart 22: Local Other Developments: Percentage of decisions within two months

In quarter one of 2016/17 the percentage of local other developments decided within two months was 68.9%, up from the previous quarter (63.1%), but slightly down from the equivalent quarter one percentage in 2015/16 (69.0%). Corresponding quarter one figures for previous years were 66.0% in 2014/15, 69.8% in 2013/14 and 65.6% in 2012/13. ( Quarter 1, 2016/17 - Table 12)

There were no legacy cases for local other developments decided in quarter one of 2016/17.