Development Control Performance
Background
8. Article 14(2) of the Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) (Scotland) Order 1992 requires planning authorities to determine an application for planning permission within 2 months of receipt of a valid application. This period can be extended where it is agreed in writing between the applicant and the planning authority. Where an environmental assessment is required, the period for determination is 4 months. As a matter of policy Central Government has set out a range of targets which local authorities should aim to meet in determining different categories of planning application. To monitor performance in handling planning applications, Councils submit 6-monthly returns to the Scottish Executive. The key data from these returns is summarised in Annex 2.
Development Control Performance
There is a statutory requirement for local authorities to determine all planning applications within 2 months. if necessary, an extended period may be agreed with the applicant.
The Government has set the following performance targets for determining planning applications within 2 months:
- at least 80% of all applications,
- 90% of householder applications, and
- 85% of minor business and industry, and other minor development applications
All Applications - Target 80%
9. There are signs that performance is improving with 65% of applications determined in 2 months in 1998/99 compared with 61% in 1996/97 (Figure 2). A cyclical element can be seen with performance in October - March below the figures for the previous 6 months. The best performance was achieved in April - September 1998 when almost 68% of planning applications were decided in 2 months. The most recent figures (October 1998 - March 1999) show that performance has fallen back but not to the level of comparable periods in 1996/97 and 1997/98 (Figure 3).
10. There remains a wide variation in performance between authorities. Some Councils consistently achieve or are close to achieving the Government's performance targets but others regularly fall well short. The extent of variation has, however, reduced slightly (Figure 4). The first 2 returns following local government reorganisation indicated that 3 authorities decided less than 40% of applications in different 6 month periods; in the 2 most recent returns no authority decided less than 40% of applications in the statutory period. In addition the number of authorities achieving the Government's target has increased from 2 to 5.
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
11. Performance in a number of authorities has improved significantly. In Inverclyde the returns for April - September 1996 indicate that 55% of planning applications were decided in 2 months. There has since been a sustained improvement in performance with the most recent figures showing the Council now achieving the 80% target. The improvements in Glasgow, which in the first 3 returns submitted after local government reorganisation showed the Council deciding 50% or less of applications in 2 months, are also noteworthy. In April - September 1998 the Council decided over 70% of applications in 2 months, a major achievement given the volume of cases and the higher number of applications in the city which are classed as "major" cases (almost twice the Scottish average). The Council's achievements were recognised in the Scottish Awards for Quality in Planning earlier this year. The development control service in the city is currently undergoing significant structural and organisational change. Angus, Argyll & Bute, Dundee, Clackmannanshire, Renfrewshire, Western Isles, Orkney, Stirling and Moray are other authorities whose performance has improved noticeably since the publication of the first Audit Unit Annual Report. With the exception of Angus, Clackmannanshire and Western Isles, the Councils showing the most significant efficiency improvements have had their development control service audited or are included in the current programme.
12. There are, however, authorities where the percentage of applications decided in 2 months remains low or where performance has declined. According to the 6 returns submitted since local government reorganisation Edinburgh has never decided over 50% of the planning applications within 2 months. The inability of the City to improve its performance is a matter of particular concern. East Lothian and Scottish Borders have only intermittently decided more than 50% of applications. The performance of Falkirk, East Dunbartonshire (which has made contact with the Audit Unit on best practice), Midlothian and West Dunbartonshire has also been consistently below the Scottish average. In East Renfrewshire and North Lanarkshire there is evidence of slippage in performance.
Householder - Target 90%
13. There are signs of progress towards the 90% target and the variation in performance between authorities is also reducing. In 1996/97 78% of householder applications were determined in 2 months; in 1997/98, the figure was 79%; and in 1998/99 it had risen to 82% (Figure 5). Figure 6 demonstrates the extent to which variations in performance between Councils have reduced. In 1996/97 one authority decided fewer than 60% of householder applications in 2 months; in the 2 most recent returns there were none. In addition the number of authorities deciding more than 90% of householder applications has increased from 2 to 6. Indeed in the returns for October 1998-March 1999, 11 Councils achieved the 90% target although in the last 6 months it had fallen to 5.
Figure 5
Figure 6
Minor Business and Industry - Target 85%
14. Performance for this type of application has shown a steady improvement. In 1996/97 just over 56% of applications were decided in 2 months, in 1998/1999 this had increased to over 60% (Figure 7). This figure remains, however, well below the Government's target of 85% of minor business and industry applications to be decided within 2 months. The Working Group on Performance Targets (see para 21 and Annex 3) concluded that targets for this type of application should be dropped.
Other (Minor) Development - Target 85%
15. The picture is similar to minor business and industry with the percentage of applications determined in 2 months rising from 55% in 1996/97 to almost 61% in 1998/99, but again this is well below the Government's target (Figure 8). The Working Group on Performance Targets concluded that the target for this category of application should be dropped (see para 21 and Annex 3).
Listed Building and Conservation Area Consent - No Target
16. No performance targets have been set for this type of application but the percentage decided in 2 months has risen from 26% in 1996/97 to almost 35% in 1998/99 (Figure 9). The findings/recommendations of the Working Group on Conservation Control are set out in Annex 4.
Figure 7
Figure 8
Figure 9
