Planning Performance Statistics 2020/21: Annual

Summary statistics on planning application decision-making timescales for 2020/21 with historic data going back to 2012/13. It is based on data collected by the Scottish Government from Local and Planning Authorities as part of the Planning Performance Framework (introduced in 2012).


5. Applications by Development Type

5.1. Local Developments

In 2020/21 a Total of 21,897 local applications not subject to processing agreements had an average decision time of 10.0 weeks. An additional 2,551 applications were subject to processing agreements. The number of decisions and average decision times vary between types of development (Table 1).

More than half (55.5%) of all local applications were from householders, and these had the shortest average decision time (8.1 weeks). Mineral applications (0.1% of all local decisions) had the longest average decision time (22.0 weeks).

Chart 23: Local Developments: Number of decisions
Chart showing the breakdown of total number of local developments by development type
Chart 24: Local Developments: Average decision time (weeks)
Chart showing the average decision time for local developments by development type

5.2. Major Developments

The average decision time for 171 major applications not subject to processing agreements in 2020/21 was 41.3 weeks. In addition, there were 101 major developments decided that had processing agreements in place. The number of decisions and average decision times vary between types of development (Table 2).

The shortest average decision time of 22.4 weeks was for business and industry developments (9% of all major developments), the longest average decision time was for housing applications (54.8 weeks, 45% of all major developments).

Chart 25: Major Developments by Development Type: Number of decisions
Chart showing the breakdown of total number of major developments by development type
Chart 26: Major Developments by Development Type: Average decision time (weeks)
Chart showing the average decision time for major developments by development type
Table 1: Local Developments: annual average decision times by Development Type 1,2,3
Post-3rd August Local Developments 2020/21   2019/20   2018/19   2017/18   2016/17  
Number of decisions Average decision time (weeks) Number of decisions Average decision time (weeks) Number of decisions Average decision time (weeks) Number of decisions Average decision time (weeks) Number of decisions Average decision time (weeks)
Householder 12,159 8.1 12,436 7.3 12,482 7.2 12,861 7.3 13,400 7.3
Other Developments 4,454 11.2 6,016 9.8 5,859 9.6 5,981 9.9 5,919 10.0
Housing 3,476 14.2 4,123 12.4 4,648 12.3 4,768 12.2 4,899 12.7
Business & Industry 1,239 10.6 1,275 10.0 1,478 9.1 1,609 9.5 1,738 9.3
Telecommunications 148 10.5 261 10.2 230 8.8 504 8.7 457 8.1
AMSCs 239 16.6 310 16.1 289 13.8 284 13.9 294 14.5
Electricity Generation 108 16.2 94 11.0 180 14.5 123 13.3 178 19.2
Fish Farming 42 14.6 37 16.0 33 15.2 56 9.3 44 8.5
Minerals 18 22.0 36 20.5 26 17.4 17 27.1 28 19.9
Waste Management 14 14.9 16 14.4 20 9.4 17 16.6 29 11.6
Total 21,897 10.0 24,604 9.1 25,245 9.0 26,220 9.0 26,986 9.2

1. Figures do not include applications subject to processing agreements.

2. The analysis in Sections 2 to 5 covers applications validated in the current planning system, post 3rd August 2009. Legacy cases validated before 3rd 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.

3. Figures for 2012/13 to 2015/16 are available in previous publications.

Table 2: Major Developments: annual average decision times by Development Type 1,2,3
Post-3rd August Major Developments 2020/21   2019/20   2018/19   2017/18   2016/17  
Number of decisions Average decision time (weeks) Number of decisions Average decision time (weeks) Number of decisions Average decision time (weeks) Number of decisions Average decision time (weeks) Number of decisions Average decision time (weeks)
Housing 77 54.8 116 37.5 98 35.1 116 38.2 108 43.4
Other Developments 53 29.7 53 27.3 64 31.1 83 30.6 94 30.4
Business & Industry 15 22.4 13 22.8 21 24.6 17 25.5 26 33.2
Electricity Generation 13 29.3 12 29.1 9 25.6 9 36.5 10 32.6
Minerals 7 47.5 8 44.0 10 41.9 8 23.9 5 30.0
Waste Management 6 35.8 1 16.6 3 27.4 5 14.0 3 18.6
Fish Farming 0 - 1 25.9 1 36.9 0 - 0 -
Total 171 41.3 204 33.5 206 32.6 238 33.6 246 36.4

1. Figures do not include applications subject to processing agreements.

2. The analysis in Sections 2 to 5 covers applications validated in the current planning system, post 3rd August 2009. Legacy cases validated before 3rd 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.

3. Figures for 2012/13 to 2015/16 are available in previous publications.

Contact

Email: planning_stats@gov.scot

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