Guidance

Appeals: how long they take

Latest average timescales for planning, enforcement and householder appeals.

From:
Planning Inspectorate
Published
1 January 2014
Last updated
23 May 2024 — See all updates

Applies to England

Cases decided in April 2024 – Summary

S78 & Householder appeals

Median (weeks) Mean (weeks) Decisions
s78 planning appeals Written Reps 29 31 711
s78 planning appeals Hearings 27 38 34
s78 planning appeals Inquiries 29* 51* 5*
Householder appeals Written Reps 18 20 385

Enforcement appeals

Includes s174 enforcement appeals, s39 enforcement listed building appeals and lawful development certificate appeals

Median (weeks) Mean (weeks) Decisions
Written Reps 50 54 124
Hearings 88* 87* 16*
Inquiries 47 63 40

Mean Average - The total time taken divided by the number of cases. Also referred to as the ‘average’. A measure of how long each case would take, if the total time taken was spread evenly across all cases.

Median - The middle value, if the times are sorted. This means that half the cases take less then this time; and half the cases take more.

Decisions – number of decisions made.

Please note that the times given here are measured from the time an appeal which we are able to progress (‘valid’) to the time a decision is issued.

The smaller the number of decisions, the less helpful the mean and median are as measures for summarising performance. Particular care should be taken when there are fewer than twenty decisions. These are represented with an * in the table, but have been provided for completeness and transparency.

Each of the measures give a slightly different view of the average time taken to make a decision, both are provided because neither gives a perfect indication of the average. The mean is potentially affected by a small number of cases taking a long time – and this gives an over-estimate. The median is less affected by these few longer cases so may give a more helpful indication of the average.

The mean was published previously so we are publishing it to allow users to compare current with previous data.

In making use of the data provided, users are reminded that some decisions made in the latest month were on cases submitted a years or more before – as such, while they are the most recent snapshot available, they should not be relied on to give a reliable indication of what will happen to a case submitted recently or in the future.

We are reviewing our published information in order to make it more useful and accessible to users – please get in touch with us at statistics@planninginspectorate.gov.uk if you have suggestions on how we could improve the information we provide to you.

Published 1 January 2014
Last updated 23 May 2024 + show all updates

  1. Cases decided in April 2024 – Summary

  2. Updated with March 2024 data

  3. February 2024 data added

  4. January 2024 data added

  5. stats updated for December.

  6. November data added to tables

  7. Cases decided in October 2023

  8. Cases decided in September 2023 – Summary updated

  9. Updated appeal handling time averages for August 2023

  10. July 2023 data added

  11. Tables updated with June 2023 data

  12. May 2023 data added

  13. March 2023 data added

  14. Tables updated with March data

  15. Data updated with cases decided in February 2023

  16. Cases decided in January 2023 updated

  17. The table has been updated today on the number and length of decisions made in December 2022

  18. November 2022 - Decisions summary updated

  19. October 2022 - Decisions summary updated

  20. September 2022 - Decisions summary data added

  21. Updated number and length of decisions made in August 2022

  22. Inquiry appeals submitted after 1 April 2019 removed as no longer correct

  23. Data updated with July 2022 - Decisions summary

  24. June 2022 information on number and length of decisions made

  25. May 2022 data added

  26. Decisions summary updated with April 2022 data

  27. Decisions summary updated with March 2022 data

  28. Updated with number and length of decisions made in February 2022

  29. January 2022 data on timeliness

  30. How long appeals take based on December 2021 data

  31. November 2021 figures added

  32. October decisions summary data added

  33. September 2021 data added

  34. August 2021 data added

  35. Tables updated with July data.

  36. Updated appeal timeliness data for June 2021

  37. May 2021 data on how long decisions are taking.

  38. April 2021 data added to show how long an appeal has taken.

  39. March data added to chart

  40. February 2021 - Decisions summary updated

  41. January 2021 - Decisions summary updated

  42. December 2020 - Decisions summary updated

  43. September 2020 data added.

  44. August average performance data added

  45. Corona virus information removed and July 2020 - Decisions summary added.

  46. Message regarding the impact of Covid-19 on our average timescales.

  47. The average timescales have been removed as we have postponed site visits, Hearings and Inquiries.

  48. To help delay the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) we are following Government advice on social distancing and avoiding non-essential travel. This has meant it necessary to postpone site visits, Hearings and Inquiries which has affected the time it is taking to deal with some appeals. We are looking ways to mitigate this by using technology and other ways to process appeals without risking the wellbeing of appellants, parties to an appeal and our staff. We apologise for the inconvenience this causes.

  49. Data updated with January 2020 figures

  50. Updated times added

  51. Average timescales updated

  52. Added a link to the Inspectorate's news item on Approach to casework during the pre-election period

  53. Average timescales updated

  54. Average timescales updated

  55. Average timescales updated

  56. Average timescales updated

  57. Average times updated

  58. Average times updated

  59. Updated the first section with a comment realating to the time taken to decide apeals

  60. Average timescales updated

  61. Latest appeal timescales

  62. Average timescales updated

  63. Data updated

  64. data on handling times updated

  65. average timescales updated

  66. times updated

  67. Average timescales updated

  68. Average timescales updated

  69. Average timescales updated

  70. Average timescales updated

  71. Average timescales updated

  72. Updated data on appeal handling times

  73. indicative times updated

  74. Indicative times updated

  75. Monthly figures updated

  76. pre election advice removed

  77. Monthly stats updated

  78. Monthly Figures updated

  79. Advice on impact of local elections added

  80. Monthly figures updated

  81. Timescales updated

  82. The monthly figures and the way they are set out have been updated

  83. Monthly figures updated

  84. Figures updated

  85. figures updated

  86. Monthly figures updated

  87. Updated figures

  88. First published.

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