Planning performance statistics 2019/2020: annual

Summary statistics on planning decision-making and timescales for April 2019 to March 2020 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

The average decision time for 24,604 local applications not subject to processing agreements in 2019/20 was 9.1 weeks. The number of decisions and average decision times vary between types of development (Table 1). In addition, there were 1,981 local developments decided in 2019/20 that had processing agreements in place.

Almost half (48.7%) of all local applications were from householders, and these had the shortest average decision time (7.3 weeks). Mineral applications (0.2% of all local decisions) had the longest average decision time (20.5 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 204 (post 3rd August 2009) major applications not subject to processing agreements in 2019/20 was 33.5 weeks. The number of decisions and average decision times vary between types of development
(Table 2).

In addition, there were 103 major developments decided in 2019/20 that had processing agreements in place.

More than half (57%) of major developments are for housing developments, these had an average decision time of 37.5 weeks.

The shortest average decision time of 16.6 weeks is for Waste Management developments (1% of all major developments), the longest average decision time was for Mineral applications (44.0 weeks, 5% 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 2019/20 2018/19 2017/18 2016/17 2015/16
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 12,436 7.3 12,482 7.2 12,861 2 13,400 7.3 13,641 7.4
Other Developments 6,016 9.8 5,859 9.6 5,981 9.9 5,919 10.0 6,126 10.3
Housing 4,123 12.4 4,648 12.3 4,768 12.2 4,899 12.7 5,590 13.7
Business & Industry 1,275 10.0 1,478 9.1 1,609 9.5 1,738 9.3 1,941 10.4
Telecommunications 261 10.2 230 8.8 504 8.7 457 8.1 441 7.9
AMSCs 310 16.1 289 13.8 284 13.9 294 14.5 319 13.0
Electricity Generation 94 11.0 180 14.5 123 13.3 178 19.2 561 17.4
Fish Farming 37 16.0 33 15.2 56 9.3 44 8.5 84 9.4
Minerals 36 20.5 26 17.4 17 27.1 28 19.9 39 35.0
Waste Management 16 14.4 20 9.4 17 16.6 29 11.6 22 10.8
Total 24,604 9.1 25,245 9.0 26,220 9.0 26,986 9.2 28,764 9.7
Table 2: Major Developments: annual average decision times by Development Type 1,2
Post-3rd August Major Developments 2019/20 2018/19 2017/18 2016/17 2015/16
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 116 37.5 98 35.1 116 38.2 108 43.4 95 40.6
Other Developments 53 27.3 64 31.1 83 30.6 94 30.4 108 25.1
Business & Industry 13 22.8 21 24.6 17 25.5 26 33.2 23 19.9
Electricity Generation 12 29.1 9 25.6 9 36.5 10 32.6 16 31.7
Minerals 8 44.0 10 41.9 8 23.9 5 30.0 16 33.6
Waste Management 1 16.6 3 27.4 5 14.0 3 18.6 9 22.4
Fish Farming 1 25.9 1 36.9 0 - 0 - 1 18.0
Total 204 33.5 206 32.6 238 33.6 246 36.4 268 31.0

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 and 2013/14 are available in previous publications.

Contact

Email: planstats@gov.scot

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