Planning performance statistics: second quarter, 2016-2017

5. Legal Agreements

The timescales for applications with legal agreements are dependent on the nature of the application, the particular complexities involved and the willingness of both the applicant and the planning authority to progress the matter at pace

5.1 Local developments with Legal Agreements

In quarter two of 2016/17 there were 62 applications for local developments where planning authorities had planning/legal agreements in place. The average time taken to make decisions on these applications was 41.6 weeks, almost six weeks slower than the previous quarter (35.8 weeks) and five and a half weeks slower than quarter two in 2015/16 (36.1 weeks). ( Quarter 2, 2016/17 - Table 3)

Chart 31: Local developments with Legal Agreements: Number of decisions

Chart 32: Local developments with Legal Agreements: Average decision time (weeks)

5.2 Major developments with Legal Agreements

In quarter two of 2016/17 there were 18 applications for major developments where planning authorities had planning/legal agreements in place. The average time taken to make decisions on these applications was 76.9 weeks, slower by almost 18 weeks compared to the previous quarter (59.3 weeks). Equivalent quarter two figures are 40.5 weeks for 2015/16, 72.3 weeks for 2014/15, 54.1 weeks for 2013/14 and 61.9 weeks for 2012/13. Some of the increase in average decision time this quarter can be explained by two applications that took over three years to be granted. The lengthiest decision (five and a half years) was for a development of up to 550 houses, a neighbourhood centre including retail and community uses, access junctions, new access roads, provision of a nature conservation area, associated roads and infrastructure. ( Quarter 2, 2016/17 - Table 2)

Chart 33: Major developments with Legal Agreements: Number of decisions

Chart 34: Major developments with Legal Agreements: Average decision time (weeks)

The timescales involved in concluding legal agreements prior to issue of planning permission will have had a significant influence over the average decision time for major applications noted above.