Planning performance statistics: annual report 2018-2019

Annual statistics on planning decision-making and timescales for 2012-2013 to 2018-2019, based on quarterly data collected by the Scottish Government from Local and Planning Authorities as part of the Planning Performance Framework (introduced in 2012).


12. Stopping the Clock

Stopping the clock is used where there has been a lengthy delay caused by the applicant or external consultees, outwith the planning authority’s control. This helps produce more accurate and relevant performance statistics that would otherwise have been skewed by extreme cases of delay outwith the planning authority’s control. 

For 2018/19 there were 1,921 applications where the clock was stopped for an average of 13.7 weeks. This compares to 1,394 applications stopped for an average of 19.8 weeks in the previous year.

Table 11: Clock stops by planning authority, 2018/191,2 

Planning Authority Total applications decided in 2018/19 Number of applications with clock stopped Percentage of applications with clock stopped Average length of time clock stopped (weeks)
Aberdeen City 858 30 3.5% 34.2
Aberdeenshire 1,979 25 1.3% 4.7
Angus 602 0 - -
Argyll and Bute 1,276 95 7.4% 16.5
Cairngorms National Park 2 0 - -
Clackmannanshire 245 23 9.4% 5.1
Dumfries and Galloway 1,257 56 4.5% 23.5
Dundee City 640 31 4.8% 21.7
East Ayrshire2 525 76 14.5% 8.6
East Dunbartonshire 709 159 22.4% 4.4
East Lothian2 1,091 84 7.7% 13.3
East Renfrewshire 701 8 1.1% 16.1
City of Edinburgh 3,322 9 0.3% 120.0
Falkirk2 602 21 3.5% 12.5
Fife 1,860 28 1.5% 7.3
Glasgow City 2,345 312 13.3% 11.6
Highland 2,987 169 5.7% 20.2
Inverclyde 344 37 10.8% 10.0
Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park 278 62 22.3% 15.2
Midlothian2 557 49 8.8% 14.8
Moray 635 177 27.9% 8.8
Na h-Eileanan Siar 400 2 0.5% 26.8
North Ayrshire 601 26 4.3% 6.5
North Lanarkshire 799 12 1.5% 54.1
Orkney Islands 417 75 18.0% 9.4
Perth and Kinross 1,620 91 5.6% 14.9
Renfrewshire 732 97 13.3% 9.4
Scottish Borders 826 4 0.5% 21.1
Shetland Islands 257 26 10.1% 4.3
South Ayrshire 806 2 0.2% 3.8
South Lanarkshire 1,600 21 1.3% 19.1
Stirling 730 1 0.1% 23.4
West Dunbartonshire 221 65 29.4% 9.4
West Lothian2 861 48 5.6% 33.1
SCOTLAND1,2 32,685 1,921 5.9% 13.7
1. Applications with Processing Agreements are not included in this analysis.
2. Includes Legacy Cases.

Table 12: Clock stops by development type, 2018/19

Development Type Total applications decided in 2018/19 Number of applications with clock stopped Percentage of applications with clock stopped Average length of time clock stopped (weeks)
Local developments
Householder 12,482 392  3.1% 4.9
Other developments   5,859  378  6.5% 13.6
Housing   4,648  587  12.6% 17.1
Business and industry   1,477  154  10.4% 11.8
AMSCs (under 2 months) 289    53  18.3% 25.9
Telecommunications 230    14  6.1% 7.5
Electricity generation 180    33  18.3% 14.5
Minerals   26      7  26.9% 38.1
Waste management   20      4  20.0% 7.4
Marine finfish farming   20      7  35.0% 16.7
Marine shellfish farming 11 0.0%  - 
Freshwater fish farming 2     1  50.0% 27.3
Total 25,244 1,630 6.5% 13.1
Major developments
Housing   98    26  26.5% 34.0
Other developments   64    11  17.2% 29.1
Business and industry   22      9  40.9% 20.3
Minerals   10      3  30.0% 70.6
Electricity generation     9      3  33.3% 147.2
Waste management     3  0.0%  - 
Freshwater fish farming     1  0.0%  - 
Total 207 52 25.1% 39.3
Other Consents
Listed building and conservation area consent   3,328  159  4.8% 12.8
Advertisements   1,766    55  3.1% 7.7
Hazardous substances   16      6  37.5% 34.8
Other consents and certificates   2,092    12  0.6% 8.4
Total 7,202 232  3.2% 11.9
Applications with EIA
Local applications with EIA   26      6  23.1% 18.9
AMSCs (under 4 months)     1      1  100.0% 47.3
Total 27 7 25.9% 22.9

1. Applications with processing Agreements are not included in this analysis.
2. Includes Legacy Cases.

For 2018/19, local housing developments have the most applications where the clock has been stopped, with 17.1 weeks on average removed from decision times. This represents 12.6% of all applications for local housing developments. 

There are a variety of reasons why the clock is stopped but stops are often due to delays in concluding legal agreements and waiting for the applicant to sign a planning obligation. Other reasons include site surveys required in relation to European protected species that must await a particular season, external consultants delay or awaiting advert fees to be paid. 

Stop the clock advice has been issued to planning authorities to help with decisions for stopping the clock and is available at http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Planning/DataSupplierArea.

Contact

Email: planstats@gov.scot

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