Performance update – February 2021
The start of the new year saw new lockdown restrictions being introduced across the UK, the third set of lockdown restrictions to date.
The start of the new year saw new lockdown restrictions being introduced across the UK, the third set of lockdown restrictions to date.
However, the solutions we had put in place during previous lockdown measures meant we have been able to progress cases by continuing to hold hearings, Inquiries and Examinations virtually. We have also continued to make unaccompanied site visits where the Inspectors are satisfied they can keep themselves and customers safe.
Our latest statistical release demonstrates our commitment to keeping the planning process moving. Since the start of 2021 there has been an understandable fall in the number of decisions issued. The lockdown measures affect our staff as it does everybody. They too have been shielding, home schooling their children and caring for others. This naturally impacts on their time to deal with cases. Participants in hearings and inquiries have also been asking for postponements due to their own shielding or caring responsibilities.
The latest data shows that casework volumes for decisions and numbers of virtual events held has fallen very slightly but we are deciding as many cases as new appeals being submitted and we are working hard to retain this level of decisions during the current lockdown. Our records show that we have made approximately 17,400 appeal decisions in the last 12 months, an average of almost 1,500 per month. The 1,973 decisions made in October are higher than the pre-pandemic levels and the highest in the last 12 months.
There has also been an impact on our decision times, and we are grateful for the understanding shown by our customers who have not received a decision as quickly as we, or they, would like but the interventions we have put in place have minimised the impact. Despite opening around 100 new virtual hearings and inquiries every month, we are receiving more new appeals to be heard by hearing than we can hold events. We are exploring how we can further increase the number of appeal hearings without reducing our work in other areas.
In January the number of Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects examined and decided reached 100 in total, a significant milestone. A further two projects have since been decided, with another due this week, which again demonstrates our commitment to ensuring major projects such as roads and power stations which our country needs can be built.
Local Plan Examinations
The backlog of hearing sessions that built up during the first lockdown in 2020 has now been cleared. All local plan hearings are currently being held virtually and we would like to thank the Local Planning Authorities, Programme Officers and all participants for their support in helping ensure these have run smoothly.
Keeping casework moving
Our current guidance on site visits, hearings, inquiries and events during the Covid-19 pandemic remains unchanged. We have now also updated our guidance on participating in virtual events reflected the changes brought in by the Business and Planning Act 2020 in our procedural guidance. The effort we invested earlier in the year to future proof our services by making use of digital and virtual opportunities has meant we have continued to deal with our full range of cases even during this second period of national lockdown.
Our casework covers the whole of England and Wales and as such we recognise that our customers may be subject to local restrictions to reduce the spread of the virus. In these situations, our Inspectors will adhere to local regulations and restrictions, rescheduling site visits if required.
For the latest information on casework arrangements in Wales please visit GOV.WALES.
Virtual events
We continue to progress our virtual Hearings and Inquiries although we’ve had to postpone trialling a mix of ‘blended’ virtual and face to face events due to the current lockdown.
There were more than 100 Virtual Events during January 2021, with 92 estimated for February 2021. Virtual events have proven to be effective and welcomed by many people affected by planning appeals, applications and examinations and have demonstrated that they offer greater opportunity for involvement in the planning system. 90% of participants have rated their experience good or excellent and 97% have said that they would be happy to take part in a digital event again.
Prior to the introduction of virtual events, councils and applicants had the responsibility for providing the venue for hearings, inquiries and examinations.
Our efforts have been recognised by the Royal Town Planning Institute and we have been named as a finalist in the ‘Excellence in Tech within Planning Practice’ and ‘Planning Heroes in a Pandemic’ categories at the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Awards for Planning Excellence 2021.
The RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence are the most established and respected awards in the UK planning industry. Running for over 40 years, they celebrate exceptional examples of planning and the contribution planners make to society.
The nominations acknowledge The Planning Inspectorate’s transformation of face-to-face events to virtual delivery following the first lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic back in March 2020. Our facilitation of virtual events meant that they were able to progress cases by continuing to hold hearings, Inquiries and Examinations virtually and enabled fair and robust oral examination of complex casework to continue.
Whilst physical events arranged by councils and applicants are likely to be part of the planning system in one form or another, virtual events have been welcomed and offer many benefits. It is likely they will be part of the planning process for the future and we hope our experiences will benefit councils and others.