Planning performance statistics 2019/2020: annual

2. Annual Trends – Local Developments (excludes legacy cases)

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.

Some local developments are subject to Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs). Results for these developments are not included here and instead are reported separately in the detailed tables. In 2019/20 13 local development applications subject to EIAs were decided.

Some local authorities use processing agreements where the developer and the local authority agree on timescales for decisions. When an application is subject to a processing agreement it is not included in average decision time calculations.

Legacy cases validated before 3^rd August 2009 are not included in the figures but are reported separately in Section 11. Figures for all applications including legacy cases were reported up to and including 2016/17 and are available in previous publications.

This section presents annual information on numbers of applications and average timescales across all local developments along with separate figures for key categories. Details for all categories of development are available in detailed excel tables which can be found in the supporting files for this publication on the Planning Authority Performance Statistics Section on the Planning Publications web page.

During the year 2019/20 there was a total of 1,890 local development decisions not subject to processing agreements where the clock had been stopped at some point within the application process (7.7% of all local development decisions not subject to processing agreements). On average 12.2 weeks has been removed from the decision times for these applications, and this will have had an effect on overall average decision times. See Section 12 for further details on the use of clock stops.

2.1. All Local Developments

There were 26,585 local development applications decided in 2019/20, 789 fewer than the previous year. The 24,604 not subject to processing agreements had an average decision time of 9.1 weeks, less than a day slower than the previous year which had been the quickest since this data collection started in 2012/13.

The average decision time for local developments has varied by less than two days over the last four years and has remained between nine and ten weeks since 2015/16.

The percentage of local applications not subject to processing agreements determined within two months was 74.1%.

A number of applications were concluded that were subject to processing agreements, these are not included in average time calculations. In 2019/20 there were 1,981 local development applications with processing agreements, 79.6% (1,576) of these met agreed timescales that had been set between developers and local authorities.

There was also one Local pre 3rd August 2009 legacy case concluded. Further details about legacy cases are in Section 10.

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 and 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 13,627 local non-householder applications in 2019/20, 676 fewer than the previous year. The 12,168 not subject to processing agreements had an average decision time of 10.9 weeks, just over a day slower than the previous year.

The average decision time for non-householder local developments has varied by two days over the last four years remaining at or just under 11 weeks.

The percentage of local non-householder applications not subject to processing agreements determined within two months was 63.3%.

A number of applications were concluded that were subject to processing agreements. In 2019/20 there were 1,459 local non-householder development applications with processing agreements, 79.1% (1,154) of these met agreed timescales that had been set between developers and local authorities.

There was also one Local pre 3rd August 2009 legacy case concluded.

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 12,958 householder applications in 2019/20, 113 fewer than the previous year. The 12,436 not subject to processing agreements had an average decision time of 7.3 weeks, less than a day slower than the previous year which had been the quickest since this data collection started in 2012/13.

The average decision time for householder developments has varied by less than a day over the last four years remaining at just over seven weeks.

The percentage of householder applications not subject to processing agreements determined within two months was 84.7%.

522 householder applications with processing agreements were determined, 80.8% (422) of these met agreed timescales that had been set between developers and local authorities.

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.

There were 4,762 local housing applications in 2019/20, 546 fewer than the previous year. The 4,123 not subject to processing agreements had an average decision time of 12.4 weeks, less than a day slower than the previous year.

The average decision time for local housing developments has varied by just under four days over the last four years remaining between 12 and 13 weeks.

The percentage of local housing applications not subject to processing agreements determined within two months was 55.8%.

639 local housing applications with processing agreements were determined, 78.1% (499) of these met agreed timescales that had been set between developers and local authorities.

There was also one Local Housing pre 3rd August 2009 legacy case concluded. Further details about legacy cases are in Section 10.

2.5. Local Business and Industry Developments

Business and Industry developments include construction of a building or structure for any of the following: use as an office, for research and development of products or processes, for any industrial process or for use for storage or as a distribution centre.

To be classed as local the gross floor space as a result of the development must not exceed 10,000 square metres and the site area less than 2 hectares.

There were 1,394 local business and industry applications in 2019/20, 197 fewer than the previous year. The 1,275 not subject to processing agreements had an average decision time of 10.0 weeks, just under a week slower than the previous year.

The average decision time has varied by just under five days over the last four years remaining between nine and ten weeks.

The percentage of local business and industry applications not subject to processing agreements determined within two months was 68.2%.

119 local business and industry applications with processing agreements were determined, 80.7% (96) of these met agreed timescales that had been set between developers and local authorities.

2.6. Local Electricity Generation Developments

This includes all types of electricity generating stations. Local developments are those where the capacity is less than 20 megawatts.

There were 108 local electricity generation applications in 2019/20, 101 fewer than the previous year. The 94 not subject to processing agreements had an average decision time of 11.0 weeks, more than three weeks quicker than the previous year.

The average decision time for local electricity developments has varied substantially over the last six years but the overall trend shows a decrease in average decision time. The number of electricity generation applications is relatively small so the decision times will be volatile and can be significantly influenced by the decision times for individual applications.

The percentage of local electricity generation applications not subject to procesing agreements determined within two months was 64.9%.

14 local electricity generation applications with processing agreements were determined, 78.6% (11) of these met agreed timescales that had been set between developers and local authorities.

2.7. Local Other Developments

Other Developments are developments not falling wholly within any other single class. They include but are not limited to retail, leisure and entertainment, education, healthcare, community facilities, transport interchanges, water and drainage developments and projects. This class also covers mixed use projects.

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 and the area of the site is less than 2 hectares.

There were 6,601 local other developments applications in 2019/20, 176 more than the previous year. The 6,016 not subject to processing agreements had an average decision time of 9.8 weeks, just over a day slower than the previous year which had been the quickest since this data collection started in 2012/13.

The average decision time for local other developments has varied by just under three days over the last four years remaining between nine and ten weeks.

The percentage of local other developments applications not subject to processing agreements determined within two months was 68.5%.

585 local other developments applications with processing agreements were determined, 78.3% (458) of these met agreed timescales that had been set between developers and local authorities.