Planning performance statistics: third 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 cases still being processed, figures are only shown for applications validated post 3 ^rd August 2009.

2.1. All Local Developments

There were 6,544 applications (excluding legacy cases) for local developments decided in quarter three of 2017/18, 305 (4.5 per cent) fewer than the 6,849 decisions in the previous quarter, and 61 (0.9 per cent) fewer applications than the 6,605 decisions in quarter three of 2016/17. The average decision time for these 6,544 local developments was 9.1 weeks, less than a day slower compared to the previous quarter (9.0 weeks), and slightly quicker than the corresponding 2016/17 quarter three figure of 9.5 weeks.

In the third quarter of 2017/18 the percentage of decisions made in less than two months was 71.7 per cent, down from both the previous quarter (74.3 per cent) and from the corresponding quarter three figure of 73.1 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 addition, there were 429 local development applications concluded in quarter three of 2017/18 that were subject to separate processing agreements and are not included in average time calculations. 321 (74.8 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 6.2 per cent of the decisions made for all local developments.

In quarter three of 2017/18 Highland made the most decisions on local developments (671 in total), 670 of these had an average decision time of 9.6 weeks; the remaining application had a processing agreement (Quarter 3, 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 3,460 local (non householder) developments decided during the third quarter of 2017/18, with an overall average decision time of 10.7 weeks. This is slightly quicker than the previous quarter (10.8 weeks) and equals the quickest for any quarter since the start of the data collection in 2012/13.

The percentage of local (non householder) developments decided within two months is 61.6 per cent, up from both the previous quarter (60.6 per cent) and from the quarter three figure in 2016/17 (61.5 per cent) ( Quarter 3, 2017/18 – Table 5).

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

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

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

There were a further 332 Local Developments (Non Householder) applications concluded that were subject to separate processing agreements, 238 (71.7 per cent) met the agreed timescales.

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 3,084 householder applications decided during the third quarter of 2017/18, with an overall average decision time of 7.3 weeks, a slight increase from the previous quarter (7.2 weeks) but a slight decrease from the equivalent quarter three figure in 2016/17 (7.5 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 83.0 per cent in quarter three of 2017/18, down from both the previous quarter (87.5 per cent) and the equivalent Quarter 3 figure for 2016/17 (85.3 per cent) ( Quarter 3, 2017/18 – Table 6).

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

There were a further 97 householder development applications concluded that were subject to separate processing agreements, 83 (85.6 per cent) of which met their agreed timescale. This compares with 82 per cent (93 of 114 householder applications) that met the agreed timescale for the previous quarter.

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 three of 2017/18 there were 1,211 decisions made on local housing applications. The overall average decision time was 11.7 weeks, quicker by just over a week compared to the previous quarter (12.8 weeks) and the quickest for any quarter 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 54.3 per cent, higher than the previous quarter (51.0 per cent) but lower than the quarter three figure in the previous year (56.6 per cent) ( Quarter 3, 2017/18 – Table 8).

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

There were a further 180 local housing applications concluded that were subject to separate processing agreements, of which 74.4 per cent (134 applications) met the agreed timescale. This compares with 79 per cent (124 of 157 local housing applications) that met the agreed timescale for the previous quarter.

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 must be 2 hectares or less.

There were 398 local business and industry applications decided during the third quarter of 2017/18, with an average decision time of 10.2 weeks, slower by more than a week compared to the previous quarter (8.9 weeks) which had been the quickest quarter 2 figure since data collection started in 2012/13.

The percentage of local business and industry applications decided within two months was 67.3 per cent, down from the previous quarter (70.3 per cent) but up slightly from the equivalent quarter three figure in the previous year (66.1 per cent) ( Quarter 3, 2017/18 – Table 10).

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

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

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

There were a further 33 local business and industry applications concluded that were subject to separate processing agreements, of which 60.6 per cent (20 applications) met the agreed timescale. This compares with 94 per cent (30 of 32 local business and industry applications) that met the agreed timescale for the previous quarter.

2.6. 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 1,546 local other developments decided during the third quarter of 2017/18, with an average decision time of 10.0 weeks, slightly slower than the 9.7 weeks for the previous quarter but slightly quicker than the equivalent quarter three in 2016/17 (10.4 weeks).

In quarter three of 2017/18 the percentage of local other developments decided within two months was 65.0 per cent, down from the previous quarter (66.5 per cent), but up slightly from the equivalent quarter three percentage in 2016/17 (64.6 per cent) ( Quarter 3, 2017/18 – Table 12).

Chart 20: Local Other Developments: Number of decisions

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

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

There were a further 86 local other developments applications concluded that were subject to separate processing agreements, of which 68.6 per cent (59 applications) met the agreed timescale. This compares with 80.8 per cent (80 of 99 local other developments) that met the agreed timescale for the previous quarter.