Planning performance statistics: first quarter, 2017-2018

2. Local Developments

Local developments include applications for changes to individual houses and smaller developments for new housing as well as 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) and other developments.

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 categories of development is reported on an annual rather than quarterly basis.

Figures for all applications, which include legacy cases validated before 3 ^rd August 2009, are shown up to the end of 2016/17. From quarter one 2017/18, because of the limited number of legacy case still being processed, figures are only shown for applications validated post August 2009.

2.1. All Local Developments

There were 6,967 applications (excluding legacy cases) for local developments decided in quarter one of 2017/18, 598 (9 per cent) more than the 6,369 decisions in the previous quarter, and 361 (5 per cent) fewer applications than the 7,328 decisions in quarter one of 2016/17. The average decision time for these 6,967 local developments was 8.8 weeks, quicker by almost four days compared to the previous quarter (9.3 weeks), and the quickest for any quarter since the start of the data collection in 2012/13.

In the first quarter of 2017/18 the percentage of decisions made in less than two months was 77.6 per cent, up from the previous quarter (73.6 per cent) but down from the corresponding quarter one figure of 78.1 per cent in 2016/17.

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

In quarter one of 2017/18 there were two local developments that were pre 3rd August 2009 legacy cases. Further details about legacy cases can be seen in Section 10.

In addition, there were 379 local development applications concluded in quarter one of 2017/18 that were subject to separate processing agreements and are not included in average time calculations. 309 (81.5 per cent) of these applications met the agreed timescales that had been set between developers and local authorities. For the most recent quarter, local applications with processing agreements accounted for 5 per cent of the decisions made for all local developments.

In quarter one of 2017/18 Highland made the most decisions on local developments (665 in total), 663 of these had an average decision time of 11.0 weeks and a further two local applications had processing agreements with both meeting the agreed timescales that had been set between the developer and local authority, ( Quarter 1, 2017/18 – Tables 1 & 3).

2.2. Local (Non Householder) Developments

This can include applications for smaller developments for new housing as well as 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) and other developments.

There were 3,444 local (non householder) developments decided during the first quarter of 2017/18, with an overall average decision time of 10.7 weeks. This is quicker than the previous quarter (11.2 weeks) and the quickest for any quarter since the start of the data collection in 2012/13.

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

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

The percentage of local (non householder) developments decided within two months is 64.8 per cent, up from the previous quarter (62.8 per cent) but down from the quarter one figure in 2016/17 (65.6 per cent) ( Quarter 1, 2017/18 – Table 5).

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

In quarter one of 2017/18 there were two non-householder local developments that were pre 3rd August 2009 legacy cases. Further details about legacy cases can be seen in Section 10.

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 3,523 householder applications decided during the first quarter of 2017/18, with an overall average decision time of 7.0 weeks, a decrease from the previous quarter (7.1 weeks) and the equivalent quarter one figure in 2016/17 (7.1 weeks).

Chart 11: Householder Developments: Number of decisions

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

The percentage of householder applications decided within two months was 90.2 per cent in quarter one of 2017/18, up from the previous quarter (85.9 per cent) and the highest figure for any quarter since the start of the data collection in 2012/13 ( Quarter 1, 2017/18 – Table 6).

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

There were a further 100 householder development applications concluded that were subject to separate processing agreements, of which 82 applications (82 per cent) met the agreed timescale. 82 per cent (64 of 78 householder applications) also met the agreed timescales in the previous quarter.

There were no householder legacy cases decided in quarter one of 2017/18.

2.4. Local Housing Developments

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

In quarter one of 2017/18 there were 1,218 decisions made on local housing applications. The overall average decision time was 12.2 weeks, quicker by more than four days compared to the previous quarter (12.8 weeks) and the quickest since data collection started in 2012/13.

Chart 14: Local Housing Developments: Number of decisions

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

The percentage of local housing applications decided within two months was 55.7 per cent, higher than the previous quarter (54.8 per cent) but lower than the quarter one figures in the previous two years ( Quarter 1, 2017/18 – Table 8).

There were a further 156 local housing applications concluded that were subject to separate processing agreements, of which 82 per cent (128 applications) met the agreed timescale. This compares with 89 per cent (125 of 140 local housing applications) that met the agreed timescale for the previous quarter.

There were no local housing legacy cases decided in quarter one of 2017/18.

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

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 458 local business and industry applications decided during the first quarter of 2017/18, with an overall average decision time of 9.5 weeks, quicker by more than three days compared to the previous quarter (10.0 weeks).

The decision time was slower than the equivalent quarter one figure in the previous year (8.6 weeks), which was the quickest since data collection started in 2012/13, but quicker than the quarter one times for the preceding three years – 2015/16 11.0 weeks, 2014/15 10.3 weeks, 2013/14 11.1 weeks.

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

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

The percentage of local business and industry applications decided within two months was 69.9 per cent, down from both the previous quarter (70.2 per cent) and from the equivalent quarter one figure in the previous year (75.1 per cent) ( Quarter 1, 2017/18 – Table 10).

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

There were a further 26 local business and industry applications concluded that were subject to separate processing agreements, of which 77 per cent (20 applications) met the agreed timescale. This compares with 86 per cent (25 of 29 local business and industry applications) that met the agreed timescale for the previous quarter.

There were no local business and industry legacy cases decided in quarter one of 2017/18.

2.6. Local Other Developments

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 1,518 local other developments decided during the first quarter of 2017/18, with an overall average decision time of 9.6 weeks, quicker than both the previous quarter (10.2 weeks), and the equivalent quarter one figure in 2016/17 (9.7 weeks).

Chart 20: Local Other Developments: Number of decisions

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

In quarter one of 2017/18 the percentage of local other developments decided within two months was 70.2 per cent, up from the previous quarter (67.8 per cent), and from the equivalent quarter one percentage in 2016/17 (68.9 per cent) ( Quarter 1, 2017/18 – Table 12).

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

There were a further 73 local other developments applications concluded that were subject to separate processing agreements, of which 79 per cent (58 applications) met the agreed timescale. This compares with 76 per cent (58 of 76 local other developments) that met the agreed timescale for the previous quarter.

There were two local other developments legacy cases decided in quarter one of 2017/18.