Planning Inspectorate statistical release 24 August 2023
Published 24 August 2023
Applies to England
1. Introduction
This statistical release provides summary information on appeals, which represent the highest volume ( in terms of number of cases) of the Planning Inspectorate’s work.
These statistics are produced each month and the focus is on timeliness of decision-making, an area of particular interest for stakeholders. Information on the decisions that have been made is also included; and on the number of Inspectors available to make those decisions.
These statistics have been published to ensure everyone has equal access to the information and to support the Planning Inspectorate’s commitment to release information where possible.
This statistical bulletin provides:
- Appeals decisions and events held from August 2022 to July 2023
- The time taken to reach decisions
- Number of open cases
- Number of Inspectors
1.1 The Planning Inspectorate
The Planning Inspectorate makes decisions and provides recommendations and advice on a range of land use planning-related issues across England.
The Planning Inspectorate deals with planning appeals, national infrastructure planning applications, examinations of local plans and other planning-related and specialist casework in England. The Planning Inspectorate is an executive agency, sponsored by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
1.2 Summary
Time to decide cases
The median decision time for cases decided in July was 33 weeks.
Median timeliness by procedure type is shown in the summary table below.
Procedure type | Last 12 months | July 2023 |
---|---|---|
Written Representations | 29 weeks | 33 weeks |
Hearings | 47 weeks | 30 weeks |
Inquiries | 55 weeks | 44 weeks |
All Cases | 30 weeks | 33 weeks |
The median time for planning cases was 32 weeks in July 2023, with the 12 month median being 28 weeks.
Enforcement decisions made in July 2023 had a median decision time of 54 weeks, with the 12 month median being 56 weeks.
The median time for planning appeals decided by inquiry under the Rosewell Process over the 12 months to July 2023 is 30 weeks.
1.3 Decisions
The Planning Inspectorate made 17,845 appeal decisions in the last 12 months, an average of 1,510 per month. The number of decisions in July 2023 was 1,517.
There were 1,416 written representations decisions in July 2023 and 16,407 in the last 12 months.
There were 903 decisions made on hearings during the last 12 months, and during July 2023, 65 decisions were issued.
There were 535 decisions made on inquiries during the last 12 months, with 36 in July 2023.
1.4 Planning Inspectors
There were 437 Planning Inspectors employed by the Inspectorate at the end of July 2023.
2. Decisions, Events & Open Cases
The number of decisions issued in July 2023 was 1,517, with a monthly average of 1,510 over the past 12 months.
The number of events recorded for July 2023 was 1,402, the average over the past 12 months was 1,398.
The median valid to decision time was 33 weeks in July 2023, as seen in Figure 1 and Table 1 below. This has increased in recent months, driven by higher decision times for planning appeals decided through written representation. This is due to an increased focus on the oldest cases of this type.
There are no clear trends for the number of events and decisions per month. However, the Christmas and Easter breaks do impact on the number of events arranged for December and April.
Figure 1: Number of events held , decisions issued and median time between valid date & decision date; August 2022 to July 2023
Source: Horizon
Table 1: Number of events held, decisions issued and median time between valid date & decision date; August 2022 to July 2023
Note 1: This table includes revisions to previously published data. Please see Annex C for further information
Month | Aug-22 | Sep-22 | Oct-22 | Nov-22 | Dec-22 | Jan-23 | Feb-23 | Mar-23 | Apr-23 | May-23 | Jun-23 | Jul-23 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Events Held | 1,418 | 1,376 | 1,300 | 1,664 | 946 | 1,723 | 1,546 | 1,303 | 1,145 | 1,443 | 1,515 | 1,402 | 16,781 |
Decisions | 1,473 | 1,259 | 1,457 | 1,579 | 1,538 | 1,468 | 1,619 | 1,683 | 1,308 | 1,446 | 1,498 | 1,517 | 17,845 |
Median | 26.9 | 29.0 | 28.7 | 30.7 | 30.4 | 31.1 | 28.7 | 29.3 | 29.1 | 30.1 | 31.6 | 33.3 | 30.0 |
Source: Horizon
Figure 2 below shows the number of cases received, closed and open for each of the last 12 months.
Note – The number of cases closed is higher than the number of decisions, as it includes cases where an appeal is withdrawn, notice is withdrawn, or the appeal is turned away.
Figure 2: Number of cases received, closed and open; August 2022 to July 2023
Source: Horizon
Note 1: there is a known anomaly that means that the number of open cases does not exactly follow the volumes of cases closed or received (for example the number of open cases can increase between months even though the number closed exceeded the number received). The main reasons for this have been identified and are detailed in the Background Quality Report. The inspectorate are Investigating how to introduce new processes to improve the quality of this data which once complete may result in revisions to the number of open cases.
Table 2: Number of cases received, closed and open; August 2022 to July 2023
Note: This table includes revisions to previously published data. Please see Annex C for further information
Month | Aug-22 | Sep-22 | Oct-22 | Nov-22 | Dec-22 | Jan-23 | Feb-23 | Mar-23 | Apr-23 | May-23 | Jun-23 | Jul-23 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Received | 1,679 | 1,776 | 1,831 | 1,881 | 1,601 | 1,674 | 1,568 | 1,907 | 1,441 | 1,755 | 1,576 | 1,673 | 20,362 |
Closed | 1,670 | 1,425 | 1,672 | 1,806 | 1,715 | 1,698 | 1,796 | 1,872 | 1,450 | 1,623 | 1,797 | 1,771 | 20,295 |
Open | 14,262 | 14,556 | 14,796 | 14,862 | 14,750 | 14,740 | 14,496 | 14,502 | 14,494 | 14,625 | 14,430 | 14,392 |
Source: Horizon
3. Number of Decisions
The Planning Inspectorate has made 17,845 appeal decisions in the last 12 months. There were 1,517 cases decided in July 2023.
Table 3 below shows the monthly breakdown with fewer decisions for the months of September 2022 and April 2023.
Table 3: Appeal Decisions; August 2022 to July 2023
Source: Horizon
3.1 Decisions by procedure and case type
Planning Inspectors work on a broader range of work than the appeals featured in this release. For example, they also work on examining Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project applications, Local Plans , Compulsory Purchase Order applications and many other specialist licencing/ application types.
Table 4 below gives the numbers of appeal decisions made broken down by whether the case was dealt with by written representations, hearings, or inquiries.
The large majority of decisions (16,407) were made on written representations. This is 92% of all appeal decisions made. Table 4 shows that written representation decisions have varied from around 1,150 to over 1,500 per month over the past 12 months. There were 1,517 decisions in July 2023.
There were 903 decisions made on hearings during the last 12 months, the monthly average being 75. During July 2023 65 decisions were issued. In July 2023 36 decisions were made for inquiries. Decisions for inquiries since August 2022 have ranged between 24 and 80.
Table 4: Appeal Decisions by Procedure and Casework Category; August 2022 to July 2023
Month | Aug-22 | Sep-22 | Oct-22 | Nov-22 | Dec-22 | Jan-23 | Feb-23 | Mar-23 | Apr-23 | May-23 | Jun-23 | Jul-23 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Written Representations | 1,354 | 1,167 | 1,373 | 1,457 | 1,337 | 1,328 | 1,496 | 1,532 | 1,223 | 1,316 | 1,408 | 1,416 | 16,407 |
Hearings | 39 | 68 | 53 | 90 | 155 | 64 | 77 | 83 | 57 | 90 | 62 | 65 | 903 |
Inquiries | 80 | 24 | 31 | 32 | 46 | 76 | 46 | 68 | 28 | 40 | 28 | 36 | 535 |
Total | 1,473 | 1,259 | 1,457 | 1,579 | 1,538 | 1,468 | 1,619 | 1,683 | 1,308 | 1,446 | 1,498 | 1,517 | 17,845 |
Month | Aug-22 | Sep-22 | Oct-22 | Nov-22 | Dec-22 | Jan-23 | Feb-23 | Mar-23 | Apr-23 | May-23 | Jun-23 | Jul-23 | Total |
Planning | 1,156 | 1,010 | 1,259 | 1,336 | 1,287 | 1,225 | 1,397 | 1,393 | 1,111 | 1,197 | 1,263 | 1,258 | 14,892 |
Enforcement | 224 | 183 | 142 | 174 | 192 | 184 | 170 | 238 | 140 | 150 | 175 | 208 | 2,180 |
Specialist | 93 | 66 | 56 | 69 | 59 | 59 | 52 | 52 | 57 | 99 | 60 | 51 | 773 |
Total | 1,473 | 1,259 | 1,457 | 1,579 | 1,538 | 1,468 | 1,619 | 1,683 | 1,308 | 1,446 | 1,498 | 1,517 | 17,845 |
Source: Horizon
What are Planning cases?
The Planning category includes s78 planning appeals, householder appeals, commercial appeals, listed building consent appeals, advertisement appeals, s106 planning obligation appeals and Called In Planning Applications.
What are Enforcement cases?
Enforcement covers enforcement appeals (i.e., appeals against the issue of an enforcement notice served by a local planning authority for alleged breaches of planning control), enforcement listed building notice appeals and lawful development certificate appeals.
What are Specialist cases?
Specialist casework includes Common Land, Rights of Way orders (including Schedule 14 cases), Purchase orders, Tree Preservation Orders (excluding receipts and open cases), High Hedges appeals, Hedgerow appeals, Wayleave, Compulsory Purchase Orders, Secretary of State, Transport, Environmental Permitting Appeals and Coastal Access. Additional casework types have been added to this category over time.
The large majority of cases over the past 12 months were planning (14,892). This is about 83% of all appeal decisions made. There were 2,180 enforcement decisions and 773 specialist decisions. These totals are also shown in Table 4 above and Figure 4 below.
Trends for planning decisions show similar patterns to written representations. The average number of enforcement decisions over the past 12 months was 182. Specialist casework figures continue to vary each month, from a high of 93 in August 2022 to a low of 51 in July 2023.
Figure 4 – Appeal Decisions by Procedure and Casework Category; August 2022 to July 2023
Appeal Decisions by Procedure
Apppeal Decisions by Casework Type
Source: Horizon
4. Decision timeliness
It is important for people to know how long an appeal is going to take, so that they can make informed plans and decisions. This section covers the timeliness of decisions (i.e., how long it takes to make a decision) across appeal casework. In addition to an overall measure, timeliness is analysed by procedure type and casework category, as timeliness varies a great deal depending on these characteristics.
Table 5 below shows that the median time to make a decision, across all cases in the last 12 months, was 30 weeks; and 33 weeks for July 2023. Figure 5 shows the median has been between 26 and 33 weeks for each of the last 12 months.
How is timeliness measured?
The time to make a decision is measured from the time the Inspectorate have enough information for the case to proceed (it is deemed ‘valid’) to the time a decision letter is issued. This means that any delay in ‘validating’ the appeal is included in the time to make a decision.
The decisions made in a given month will include those that started many months before, and thus do not give an accurate indication of how long appeals submitted, or deemed ‘valid’ in that month, will take.
Table 5 also shows the mean decision time for the last 12 months is 36 weeks. Each month the median is less than the mean, due to the impact of very long cases. Also included in the table is the standard deviation of decision timeliness, which is a measure of variation.
What are mean, median and standard deviation?
Measure | Definition |
---|---|
Mean | 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 | This is the time taken by the ‘middle’ case if all cases were sorted from quickest to longest |
Standard deviation | This is a measure of variability or spread. It is calculated by examining how much each value differs from the mean. A higher standard deviation means the individual decision times vary more widely around the mean. A lower standard deviation would demonstrate greater consistency in the Planning Inspectorate’s decision timeliness. |
Table 5: Median, mean and Standard Deviation of Time to Decision; August 2022 to July 2023
Month | Aug-22 | Sep-22 | Oct-22 | Nov-22 | Dec-22 | Jan-23 | Feb-23 | Mar-23 | Apr-23 | May-23 | Jun-23 | Jul-23 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Valid to Decision (median weeks) | 26.9 | 29.0 | 28.7 | 30.7 | 30.4 | 31.1 | 28.7 | 29.3 | 29.1 | 30.1 | 31.6 | 33.3 | 30.0 |
Valid to Decision (mean weeks) | 33.6 | 34.4 | 33.2 | 36.5 | 35.6 | 36.7 | 34.2 | 39.5 | 35.4 | 37.7 | 35.9 | 37.9 | 35.9 |
Standard Deviation (weeks) | 23.2 | 22.8 | 19.8 | 22.4 | 21.9 | 24.1 | 22.8 | 35.1 | 22.5 | 27.4 | 20.6 | 21.8 | 24.2 |
Source: Horizon
Figure 5: Median and mean Time to Decision; August 2022 to July 2023
4.1 Procedure Type
Table 6 below shows decision timeliness broken down by the procedure type. Hearings and inquires take longer than written representations , both types take roughly twice as long on average across the last 12 months. Because 19 of every 20 cases are by written representation, the timeliness measures for written representations are similar to the measure across all cases.
Where a small number of cases has been decided, the average timeliness (whether mean or median) is less meaningful as a measure than where there are many cases. Those noted in the table caption below should be treated with caution as there are fewer than 20 cases decided.
Median times are less affected by a small number of large values than mean times, so are the focus of this commentary. The median time for written representations over the 12 months to July 2023 is 29 weeks. The median time for hearings over the 12 months to July 2023 is 47 weeks. The median time to decide for inquiries over the 12 months to July 2023 was 55 weeks.
Table 6: Mean and Median Time to Decision, with Standard Deviation, by Procedure; August 2022 to July 2023
Note 1: where the number of decisions issued is fewer than 20, the measures mean, median and standard deviation are less meaningful.
Measure | Procedure | Aug-22 | Sep-22 | Oct-22 | Nov-22 | Dec-22 | Jan-23 | Feb-23 | Mar-23 | Apr-23 | May-23 | Jun-23 | Jul-23 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Valid to decision (median weeks) | Written Representations | 26.0 | 28.6 | 28.4 | 30.1 | 29.0 | 29.7 | 27.8 | 28.1 | 28.6 | 29.9 | 31.4 | 33.1 | 29.3 |
Valid to decision (median weeks) | Hearings | 63.0 | 41.4 | 40.9 | 51.1 | 54.4 | 60.0 | 45.0 | 48.0 | 37.6 | 56.8 | 35.4 | 30.4 | 47.3 |
Valid to decision (median weeks) | Inquiries | 68.6 | 36.5 | 29.6 | 41.1 | 38.6 | 74.4 | 58.0 | 179.6 | 79.1 | 38.4 | 33.6 | 43.6 | 55.4 |
Valid to decision (median weeks) | All Cases | 26.9 | 29.0 | 28.7 | 30.7 | 30.4 | 31.1 | 28.7 | 29.3 | 29.1 | 30.1 | 31.6 | 33.3 | 30.0 |
Valid to decision (mean weeks) | Written Representations | 30.6 | 32.9 | 32.5 | 34.8 | 32.7 | 33.3 | 32.0 | 34.1 | 33.7 | 34.4 | 35.0 | 36.8 | 33.6 |
Valid to decision (mean weeks) | Hearings | 67.8 | 51.7 | 45.1 | 56.7 | 58.9 | 62.0 | 53.6 | 58.5 | 50.7 | 70.7 | 46.9 | 51.2 | 56.7 |
Valid to decision (mean weeks) | Inquiries | 67.6 | 62.3 | 44.3 | 58.4 | 42.1 | 73.6 | 76.0 | 137.8 | 79.6 | 71.2 | 56.8 | 55.9 | 73.3 |
Valid to decision (mean weeks) | All Cases | 33.6 | 34.4 | 33.2 | 36.5 | 35.6 | 36.7 | 34.2 | 39.5 | 35.4 | 37.7 | 35.9 | 37.9 | 35.9 |
Standard Deviation (weeks) | Written Representations | 19.1 | 20.1 | 18.6 | 19.7 | 17.9 | 18.1 | 17.8 | 20.7 | 20.0 | 20.3 | 19.0 | 20.0 | 19.4 |
Standard Deviation (weeks) | Hearings | 43.1 | 31.6 | 24.8 | 34.5 | 35.7 | 31.3 | 38.3 | 42.1 | 30.2 | 53.0 | 30.8 | 37.1 | 37.9 |
Standard Deviation (weeks) | Inquiries | 30.6 | 54.9 | 40.8 | 43.4 | 18.3 | 50.6 | 54.6 | 89.1 | 40.7 | 57.2 | 40.7 | 34.7 | 58.0 |
Standard Deviation (weeks) | All Cases | 23.2 | 22.8 | 19.8 | 22.4 | 21.9 | 24.1 | 22.8 | 35.1 | 22.5 | 27.4 | 20.6 | 21.8 | 24.2 |
Decisions | Written Representations | 1354 | 1167 | 1373 | 1457 | 1337 | 1328 | 1496 | 1532 | 1223 | 1316 | 1408 | 1416 | 16407 |
Decisions | Hearings | 39 | 68 | 53 | 90 | 155 | 64 | 77 | 83 | 57 | 90 | 62 | 65 | 903 |
Decisions | Inquiries | 80 | 24 | 31 | 32 | 46 | 76 | 46 | 68 | 28 | 40 | 28 | 36 | 535 |
Decisions | Total | 1473 | 1259 | 1457 | 1579 | 1538 | 1468 | 1619 | 1683 | 1308 | 1446 | 1498 | 1517 | 17845 |
Source: Horizon
The standard deviation information indicates that for all three procedures, there is considerable variation, meaning times are widely spread about the mean. For written representations, the amount of variation has been quite stable over recent months, whereas hearings and enquiries have experienced considerable month to month changes in the spread of decision times.
4.2 Casework Category
The nature of the cases the Planning Inspectorate deal with varies widely and several factors play a part in determining how long it takes to make a decision. One such factor is the type of casework. Table 7 below shows the time taken to decide, in planning cases, in enforcement cases, and in specialist cases, as does Figure 6.
The median time to decision for planning cases (there are many more of these decisions than in the other categories) is lower than for enforcement cases; and less variable than the times for specialist cases. Table 7 and Figure 6 show the median time for planning cases has been 25 weeks and above for each of the last twelve months.
Table 7: Decisions, Mean, Median and Standard Deviation of Time to Decision – Planning, Enforcement, Specialist Cases; August 2022 to July 2023
Note 1: This table includes revisions to previously published data. Please see Annex C for further information
Appeal Type | Measure | Aug-22 | Sep-22 | Oct-22 | Nov-22 | Dec-22 | Jan-23 | Feb-23 | Mar-23 | Apr-23 | May-23 | Jun-23 | Jul-23 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Planning Cases | Valid to decision (median wks) | 25.1 | 27.0 | 27.4 | 29.1 | 28.9 | 28.3 | 26.1 | 26.1 | 26.7 | 28.7 | 29.9 | 31.6 | 27.9 |
Planning Cases | Valid to decision (mean wks) | 28.7 | 30.8 | 30.6 | 33.0 | 31.4 | 31.5 | 30.7 | 31.5 | 32.1 | 33.4 | 32.6 | 34.9 | 31.8 |
Planning Cases | Standard deviation of decision (weeks) | 17.7 | 18.3 | 15.9 | 17.6 | 16.0 | 16.3 | 17.8 | 18.6 | 20.0 | 22.3 | 17.7 | 19.7 | 18.3 |
Enforcement Cases | Valid to decision (median wks) | 58.6 | 45.0 | 44.1 | 52.1 | 62.5 | 63.4 | 54.1 | 67.6 | 57.9 | 58.4 | 53.1 | 53.6 | 56.3 |
Enforcement Cases | Valid to decision (mean wks) | 56.1 | 51.3 | 50.5 | 59.6 | 62.0 | 67.9 | 59.9 | 85.8 | 60.0 | 68.9 | 56.2 | 53.5 | 61.6 |
Enforcement Cases | Standard deviation of decision (weeks) | 29.6 | 29.1 | 26.7 | 32.3 | 31.6 | 36.6 | 36.0 | 62.0 | 26.6 | 40.9 | 21.4 | 22.3 | 36.8 |
Specialist Cases | Valid to decision (median wks) | 30.6 | 29.4 | 34.6 | 34.7 | 26.9 | 36.9 | 38.2 | 27.4 | 37.6 | 35.1 | 32.4 | 40.1 | 34.3 |
Specialist Cases | Valid to decision (mean wks) | 41.3 | 43.2 | 47.0 | 48.3 | 41.8 | 46.2 | 45.9 | 42.4 | 39.7 | 42.6 | 44.7 | 47.2 | 44.0 |
Specialist Cases | Standard deviation of decision (weeks) | 30.4 | 37.5 | 39.8 | 34.7 | 31.3 | 32.9 | 28.6 | 38.2 | 19.2 | 26.4 | 34.1 | 35.2 | 32.5 |
Source: Horizon
Annex A gives information on median and mean time to decision, with standard deviation, for the three procedure types, split by planning, enforcement, and specialist casework categories.
Enforcement decisions made in the past 12 months had a median decision time of 56 weeks.
There are considerably fewer specialist cases which means results are more liable to be distorted by extreme values. Looking at the annual measures, the median time to decision for specialist decisions have been shorter than enforcement decisions, and quite similar to the median for planning decisions.
Figure 6 – Median Time to Decision by Casework Category: August 2022 to July 2023
Source: Horizon
Note that the Inspectorate publishes each month, information on the mean and median times from valid to decision, for selected appeal types. The information published also breaks down the time for each stage of the process. See Annex B for further details.
4.3 Planning Inquiry Decisions
For planning appeals decided by the inquiry process, The Planning Inspectorate has been implementing recommendations from the Rosewell review.
The median time for inquiries under Rosewell process over the 12 months to July 2023 is 30 weeks and the median time to decision for July 2023 was 26 weeks.
Table 8: Decisions, Mean and Median Time to Decision, Planning Inquiry Cases under Rosewell Process; August 2022 to July 2023
1: where there are fewer than 20 decisions, the measures mean, median and standard deviation are less meaningful.
Measure | Aug-22 | Sep-22 | Oct-22 | Nov-22 | Dec-22 | Jan-23 | Feb-23 | Mar-23 | Apr-23 | May-23 | Jun-23 | Jul-23 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Decisions | 18 | 11 | 22 | 19 | 38 | 22 | 15 | 18 | 9 | 20 | 16 | 16 | 224 |
Median (weeks) | 26.0 | 28.6 | 25.9 | 29.4 | 38.6 | 28.6 | 31.7 | 29.4 | 24.9 | 28.6 | 29.9 | 26.3 | 29.6 |
Mean (weeks) | 30.9 | 29.5 | 29.1 | 38.0 | 36.9 | 31.0 | 40.2 | 33.5 | 34.9 | 30.5 | 34.0 | 30.6 | 33.4 |
St. Dev. (weeks) | 14.0 | 9.4 | 11.0 | 20.8 | 6.5 | 10.3 | 29.2 | 13.4 | 20.2 | 8.9 | 26.6 | 12.0 | 15.9 |
Most inquiry decisions now being issued are under the revised ‘Rosewell’ process but some inquiries, for example those that are linked together with associated enforcement cases, do not follow the Rosewell process.
Table 9: Decisions, Planning Inquiry Cases under non-Rosewell Process; August 2022 to July 2023
Month | Aug-22 | Sep-22 | Oct-22 | Nov-22 | Dec-22 | Jan-23 | Feb-23 | Mar-23 | Apr-23 | May-23 | Jun-23 | Jul-23 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Decisions | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 22 |
Source: Horizon
Figure 7 below shows the mean and median time to decision for planning inquiry cases under the Rosewell process.
Figure 7: Mean and Median Time to Decision, Rosewell Inquiry Process; August 2022 to July 2023
Source: Horizon
5. Open Cases
At the end of July 2023, the Planning Inspectorate had 14,392 cases open. More information on the number of open cases, and how it has changed over the past 12 months, is in Table 2 and Figure 2 above.
The open cases comprised of 12,912 cases being handled through written representations; 796 through hearings; and 628 through inquiries, as well as 56 not currently allocated a procedure type. This is not the number of ‘live’ hearings and inquiries since it includes cases where the event (hearing or inquiry) has yet to start, as well as those where the event has finished but the decision has yet to be issued.
For each procedure type, there are more cases with an event yet to start, than at any other stage in the process. Event refers to either a site visit, hearing, or inquiry.
Table 10: Open cases by procedure and stage, as of end of July 2023
Stage | Written Representations | Hearings | Inquiries | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|
Cases received but yet to be deemed valid | 2,668 | 35 | 5 | 2,710 |
Cases deemed valid but yet to ‘start’ | 2,433 | 158 | 101 | 2,743 |
Case started but event (site visit/hearing/inquiry) has not yet happened | 7,793 | 588 | 505 | 8,887 |
Event has happened/started but decision not yet issued | 18 | 15 | 17 | 52 |
Total | 12,912 | 796 | 628 | 14,392 |
Source: Horizon
Note 1 - there are 56 cases that have no procedure type recorded (see Background Quality Report for more detail) These are included in the total but excluded from the breakdown by procedure.
Note 2 – there is a known anomaly that means that the number of open cases does not exactly follow the volumes of cases closed or received (for example the number of open cases can increase between months even though the number closed exceeded the number received). The main reasons for this have been identified and are detailed in the Background Quality Report. The inspectorate are investigating how to introduce new processes to improve the quality of this data which once complete may result in revisions to the number of open cases
6. Inspectors
Table 11 below shows the number of inspectors in the Planning Inspectorate in each month from August 2022 to July 2023 . This includes headcount (i.e. the number of different individuals) and full-time equivalents (FTE) where those working part time are counted in proportion with their contracted hours. There were 437 Planning Inspectors employed by the Inspectorate in July 2023 – with a full-time equivalent of 392.
Table 11: Planning Inspectors – Headcount and FTE; August 2022 to July 2023 (at end of month)
Month | Aug-22 | Sep-22 | Oct-22 | Nov-22 | Dec-22 | Jan-23 | Feb-23 | Mar-23 | Apr-23 | May-23 | Jun-23 | Jul-23 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Headcount | 376 | 388 | 391 | 390 | 390 | 406 | 409 | 421 | 419 | 420 | 426 | 437 |
FTE | 335.0 | 346.2 | 348.9 | 348.3 | 348.3 | 363.2 | 365.3 | 377.4 | 375.5 | 376.8 | 381.9 | 392.4 |
Source: SAP HR
As above, Planning Inspectors work on a broader range of work than the appeals featured in this Release. Please note that data on Planning Inspectors is only applicable to salaried employees (it does not include fixed term contract Inspectors or Planning and Appeal Decision Suppliers (previously referred to as non-salaried Inspectors).
7. Annex A - Mean and Median time to decide, with standard devation, for planning, enforcement and specialist casework.
Planning
Note: where there are fewer than 20 decisions, the measures mean, median and standard deviation are less meaningful. This applies to September 2022, April, June and July 2023 for inquiries decisions.
Planning | Measure | Aug-22 | Sep-22 | Oct-22 | Nov-22 | Dec-22 | Jan-23 | Feb-23 | Mar-23 | Apr-23 | May-23 | Jun-23 | Jul-23 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Written Representations | Decisions | 1,108 | 953 | 1,195 | 1,253 | 1,167 | 1,161 | 1,323 | 1,312 | 1,060 | 1,115 | 1,193 | 1,190 | 14,030 |
Written Representations | Median Average Weeks | 24.9 | 26.9 | 27.4 | 29.0 | 28.0 | 28.1 | 26.0 | 25.9 | 26.6 | 28.6 | 29.9 | 31.9 | 27.7 |
Written Representations | Mean Average Weeks | 27.9 | 30.1 | 30.3 | 32.3 | 30.3 | 30.9 | 29.8 | 30.6 | 31.5 | 31.9 | 32.0 | 34.2 | 31.0 |
Written Representations | Standard Deviation Weeks | 15.7 | 17.2 | 15.6 | 16.4 | 14.3 | 15.3 | 15.9 | 17.0 | 18.7 | 18.2 | 16.5 | 18.1 | 16.7 |
Hearings | Decisions | 27 | 46 | 41 | 63 | 81 | 39 | 54 | 60 | 39 | 62 | 54 | 50 | 616 |
Hearings | Median Average Weeks | 42.6 | 38.6 | 32.0 | 39.0 | 34.3 | 44.7 | 25.4 | 41.6 | 27.0 | 40.2 | 32.6 | 25.6 | 33.9 |
Hearings | Mean Average Weeks | 55.4 | 46.1 | 39.7 | 44.8 | 43.1 | 48.5 | 41.9 | 48.2 | 42.7 | 61.4 | 44.9 | 50.2 | 47.1 |
Hearings | Standard Deviation Weeks | 43.0 | 30.8 | 23.1 | 30.1 | 29.7 | 27.5 | 31.5 | 32.8 | 30.6 | 52.9 | 30.6 | 40.3 | 35.0 |
Inquiries | Decisions | 21 | 11 | 23 | 20 | 39 | 25 | 20 | 21 | 12 | 20 | 16 | 18 | 246 |
Inquiries | Median Average Weeks | 26.0 | 28.6 | 25.9 | 29.4 | 38.6 | 29.7 | 32.5 | 31.1 | 28.8 | 28.6 | 29.9 | 28.6 | 30.0 |
Inquiries | Mean Average Weeks | 37.5 | 29.5 | 28.5 | 41.2 | 38.6 | 35.6 | 55.5 | 42.0 | 56.6 | 30.5 | 34.0 | 36.3 | 38.5 |
Inquiries | Standard Deviation Weeks | 27.2 | 9.4 | 11.1 | 24.6 | 12.4 | 19.2 | 41.4 | 30.9 | 43.9 | 8.9 | 26.6 | 19.9 | 25.4 |
All Cases | Decisions | 1,156 | 1,010 | 1,259 | 1,336 | 1,287 | 1,225 | 1,397 | 1,393 | 1,111 | 1,197 | 1,263 | 1,258 | 14,892 |
All Cases | Median Average Weeks | 25.1 | 27.0 | 27.4 | 29.1 | 28.9 | 28.3 | 26.1 | 26.1 | 26.7 | 28.7 | 29.9 | 31.6 | 27.9 |
All Cases | Mean Average Weeks | 28.7 | 30.8 | 30.6 | 33.0 | 31.4 | 31.5 | 30.7 | 31.5 | 32.1 | 33.4 | 32.6 | 34.9 | 31.8 |
All Cases | Standard Deviation Weeks | 17.7 | 18.3 | 15.9 | 17.6 | 16.0 | 16.3 | 17.8 | 18.6 | 20.0 | 22.3 | 17.7 | 19.7 | 18.3 |
Enforcement
Note: where there are fewer than 20 decisions, the measures mean, median and standard deviation are less meaningful. This applies to all months for hearing other than November and December 2022 and March and May 2023 and all months for inquiry decisions other than August 2022 and January, February and March 2023.
Enforcement | Measure | Aug-22 | Sep-22 | Oct-22 | Nov-22 | Dec-22 | Jan-23 | Feb-23 | Mar-23 | Apr-23 | May-23 | Jun-23 | Jul-23 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Written Representations | Decisions | 164 | 158 | 128 | 145 | 118 | 122 | 131 | 176 | 114 | 112 | 161 | 184 | 1,713 |
Written Representations | Median Average Weeks | 40.0 | 44.7 | 39.7 | 49.3 | 53.8 | 53.5 | 48.1 | 58.1 | 53.1 | 56.7 | 52.9 | 52.4 | 50.6 |
Written Representations | Mean Average Weeks | 46.3 | 48.4 | 49.0 | 54.1 | 54.1 | 56.7 | 51.4 | 60.7 | 53.6 | 56.6 | 54.1 | 52.1 | 53.0 |
Written Representations | Standard Deviation Weeks | 25.3 | 23.2 | 26.9 | 28.5 | 27.8 | 23.6 | 22.6 | 24.8 | 22.0 | 24.5 | 17.6 | 21.3 | 24.4 |
Hearings | Decisions | 6 | 14 | 11 | 20 | 71 | 15 | 17 | 21 | 12 | 24 | 7 | 11 | 229 |
Hearings | Median Average Weeks | 99.6 | 39.7 | 53.7 | 93.0 | 68.1 | 74.7 | 73.6 | 69.3 | 69.9 | 78.9 | 57.3 | 34.0 | 68.1 |
Hearings | Mean Average Weeks | 101.1 | 57.5 | 64.6 | 85.5 | 75.2 | 80.8 | 87.9 | 84.1 | 70.5 | 96.0 | 64.0 | 50.4 | 77.7 |
Hearings | Standard Deviation Weeks | 25.4 | 30.0 | 22.2 | 19.6 | 33.1 | 22.3 | 40.8 | 50.1 | 17.8 | 47.9 | 29.5 | 24.8 | 36.3 |
Inquiries | Decisions | 54 | 11 | 3 | 9 | 3 | 47 | 22 | 41 | 14 | 14 | 7 | 13 | 238 |
Inquiries | Median Average Weeks | 68.6 | 62.3 | 67.6 | 58.6 | 45.1 | 82.0 | 72.6 | 224.3 | 114.2 | 149.3 | 101.3 | 80.1 | 82.0 |
Inquiries | Mean Average Weeks | 80.9 | 85.9 | 61.2 | 89.2 | 63.4 | 92.9 | 89.0 | 194.1 | 103.3 | 120.8 | 98.2 | 77.0 | 107.6 |
Inquiries | Standard Deviation Weeks | 22.2 | 62.5 | 12.2 | 57.6 | 28.7 | 51.4 | 61.9 | 62.9 | 23.2 | 63.3 | 39.2 | 19.9 | 63.2 |
All Cases | Decisions | 224 | 183 | 142 | 174 | 192 | 184 | 170 | 238 | 140 | 150 | 175 | 208 | 2,180 |
All Cases | Median Average Weeks | 58.6 | 45.0 | 44.1 | 52.1 | 62.5 | 63.4 | 54.1 | 67.6 | 57.9 | 58.4 | 53.1 | 53.6 | 56.3 |
All Cases | Mean Average Weeks | 56.1 | 51.3 | 50.5 | 59.6 | 62.0 | 67.9 | 59.9 | 85.8 | 60.0 | 68.9 | 56.2 | 53.5 | 61.6 |
All Cases | Standard Deviation Weeks | 29.6 | 29.1 | 26.7 | 32.3 | 31.6 | 36.6 | 36.0 | 62.0 | 26.6 | 40.9 | 21.4 | 22.3 | 36.8 |
Specialist
Note: where there are fewer than 20 decisions, the measures mean, median and standard deviation are less meaningful. This applies to all months’ hearings decisions; and all months inquiries decisions
Specialist | Measure | Aug-22 | Sep-22 | Oct-22 | Nov-22 | Dec-22 | Jan-23 | Feb-23 | Mar-23 | Apr-23 | May-23 | Jun-23 | Jul-23 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Written Representations | Decisions | 82 | 56 | 50 | 59 | 52 | 45 | 42 | 44 | 49 | 89 | 54 | 42 | 664 |
Written Representations | Median Average Weeks | 27.5 | 25.9 | 33.7 | 31.3 | 26.9 | 30.3 | 31.9 | 24.1 | 35.0 | 34.1 | 31.3 | 35.0 | 30.9 |
Written Representations | Mean Average Weeks | 37.2 | 36.3 | 41.0 | 41.9 | 36.6 | 33.5 | 38.0 | 33.5 | 36.3 | 38.3 | 42.3 | 42.4 | 38.1 |
Written Representations | Standard Deviation Weeks | 27.6 | 33.2 | 30.6 | 29.5 | 26.2 | 20.6 | 20.7 | 24.6 | 16.4 | 22.4 | 34.1 | 30.9 | 27.1 |
Hearings | Decisions | 6 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 58 |
Hearings | Median Average Weeks | 82.6 | 67.5 | 50.4 | 66.3 | 85.1 | 88.5 | 53.9 | 99.1 | 65.2 | 71.5 | 38.9 | 63.5 | 71.5 |
Hearings | Mean Average Weeks | 90.5 | 73.5 | 50.4 | 82.0 | 101.4 | 86.6 | 61.3 | 99.1 | 63.4 | 64.4 | 38.9 | 66.6 | 76.5 |
Hearings | Standard Deviation Weeks | 28.4 | 27.5 | 0.0 | 42.3 | 33.5 | 27.1 | 23.2 | 55.9 | 24.3 | 26.4 | 0.0 | 11.3 | 32.5 |
Inquiries | Decisions | 5 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 51 |
Inquiries | Median Average Weeks | 35.6 | 112.9 | 126.7 | 91.1 | 48.1 | 73.8 | 111.6 | 69.9 | 51.9 | 97.5 | 68.3 | 42.7 | 68.3 |
Inquiries | Mean Average Weeks | 50.4 | 112.9 | 106.9 | 80.0 | 60.0 | 85.0 | 106.1 | 88.7 | 51.9 | 91.3 | 71.7 | 71.9 | 81.5 |
Inquiries | Standard Deviation Weeks | 22.5 | 51.2 | 66.6 | 27.6 | 31.1 | 41.7 | 26.3 | 58.3 | 3.0 | 23.6 | 23.9 | 58.4 | 45.9 |
All Cases | Decisions | 93 | 66 | 56 | 69 | 59 | 59 | 52 | 52 | 57 | 99 | 60 | 51 | 773 |
All Cases | Median Average Weeks | 30.6 | 29.4 | 34.6 | 34.7 | 26.9 | 36.9 | 38.2 | 27.4 | 37.6 | 35.1 | 32.4 | 40.1 | 34.3 |
All Cases | Mean Average Weeks | 41.3 | 43.2 | 47.0 | 48.3 | 41.8 | 46.2 | 45.9 | 42.4 | 39.7 | 42.6 | 44.7 | 47.2 | 44.0 |
All Cases | Standard Deviation Weeks | 30.4 | 37.5 | 39.8 | 34.7 | 31.3 | 32.9 | 28.6 | 38.2 | 19.2 | 26.4 | 34.1 | 35.2 | 32.5 |
8. Annex B - Detailed Information on timeliness (July 2023)
The information below is published today on the number and length of decisions made in July 2023:
Note 1: when there are fewer than 20 decisions the measures mean, median and standard deviation are less meaningful.
Casework Type | Procedure Type | Median (weeks) | Mean (weeks) | Decisions |
---|---|---|---|---|
s78 planning appeals | Written Representations | 34.3 | 38.5 | 797 |
s78 planning appeals | Hearings | 25.4 | 50.5 | 49 |
s78 planning appeals | Inquiries | 28.6 | 36.3 | 18 |
Householder appeals | Written Representations | 18.6 | 22.3 | 297 |
Enforcement appeals | Written Representations | 52.4 | 52.1 | 184 |
Enforcement appeals | Hearings | 34.0 | 50.4 | 11 |
Enforcement appeals | Inquiries | 80.1 | 77.0 | 13 |
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 shaded grey in the table but have been provided for completeness and transparency.
The information published below shows the time taken for different stages of the appeals process:
Measure | s78 Written Representations [Note 1] | s78 Hearings | s78 Inquiries | Householder appeals |
---|---|---|---|---|
Weeks between valid date & start date | ||||
Median (average) | 14.7 | 3.0 | 1.9 | 7.3 |
Mean (average) | 13.6 | 4.8 | 2.7 | 8.3 |
Cases that started in July 2023 | 631 | 41 | 16 | 337 |
Weeks between start date & event date | ||||
Median (average) | 12.7 | 15.4 | 15.7 | 5.0 |
Mean (average) | 16.5 | 22.1 | 15.8 | 7.8 |
Cases where an event occurred during July 2023 | 673 | 52 | 14 | 417 |
Weeks between event date & decision date | ||||
Median (average) | 5.0 | 5.0 | 9.1 | 3.9 |
Mean (average) | 6.5 | 8.7 | 10.0 | 4.3 |
Cases that have been decided in July 2023 | 678 | 44 | 15 | 369 |
Explanation of date terminology
Date | Explanation |
---|---|
Valid date | When a case is deemed to have been validly received. Note – this is not always the date the case was validated. If a case is validated after the date it was validly received, it is the date it was validly received that is the valid date. |
Start date | When a timetable, on how the appeal will progress, is issued to both the appellant and local authority. This timetable tells the appellant when to submit the information the Inspectors need to determine the appeal. It also tells the local authority when to notify interested parties about the appeal. |
Event date | When the site visit, hearing, or inquiry occurred. |
Decision date | When the decision was issued by The Planning Inspectorate. |
Find out more about the process here - https://www.gov.uk/appeal-planning-decision/after-you-appeal
9. Annex C - Revisions to the data tables
This Annex lists all revisions made to the data since the last statistical release.
Note: Classed as a revision are any values which have changed by more than five (when measuring number of decisions/ cases) or more than 0.5 weeks (for mean, median or standard deviation of weeks).
Table | Revisions |
---|---|
Table 1 | Events Held: May 2023 |
Table 1 | Decisions: June 2023 |
Table 2 | Received: April 2023 |
Table 2 | Closed: August and December 2022, March and June 2023 |
Table 2 | Open: April, May, June 2023 |
Table 3 | Decisions: June 2023 |
Table 4 | Written Representations: June 2023 |
Table 4 | Total: June 2023 |
Table 6 | Valid to Decisions (Mean Weeks) Hearings: April and May 2023 |
Table 7 | Enforcement cases Valid to Decisions (Mean): February 2023 |
Table 7 | Enforcement cases Standard deivation of decision: February 2023 |
Table 7 | Specialist Cases Valid to decisions (median wks): May 2023 |
Table 7 | Specialist Cases Valid to decisions (mean wks): April and June 2023 |
Table 7 | Specialist Cases Standard deivation of decision: April and June 2023 |
10. Background notes
10.1 Data sources
Horizon / Picaso – The main casework management systems used for processing appeals casework (note that Picaso is no longer a live system).
SAP HR – The Human Resources system database used to store all information regarding members of staff.
10.2 Compliance with the Code of Practice for Statistics
These statistics have been published in accordance with the Code of Practice for Statistics, which cover trustworthiness, quality, and value. They have been pre-announced, and publication is overseen by the Head of Profession.
10.3 Technical Notes
A Background Quality Report is published alongside this Statistical Release. It provides more detail on the quality of statistics in this publication.
Definition | |
---|---|
Data quality | Data on cases is taken from a live casework system, and details of cases can change for a number of reasons even after a decision has been made. We are seeking to get a better understanding of the nature and volume of these changes and will provide further information as it is available. |
Data quality | We carry out regular checks on the quality of our data and may undertake ad hoc data cleansing exercises. Therefore, all the data for the last 12 rolling months is published in provisional form. |
Data quality | We have indicated in this publication any data where a number of cases has changed by more than five cases in a month; or where a measure (mean, median or standard deviation) has changed by more than 0.5 weeks. |
Measuring weeks | Data are measured in days and then converted to weeks. |
Measuring weeks | Note that not all decimal values are possible where converting days to weeks. 1 day is 1/7 of a week, or 0.14 weeks (to two decimal places). 2 days = 0.29; 3 days = 0.43; 4 days = 0.57; 5 days = 0.71; 6 days = 0.86. |
Measuring weeks | When these are used to calculate averages, or displayed to one decimal place, the result will not equate to a full day which can be misleading: it may appear that we are measuring part days (e.g. 19.8 weeks) but we only measure in whole days. |
11. Glossary
Term | Explanation |
---|---|
Appeals | The right to appeal a planning decision made by a local authority is a key feature of the planning system, as is appealing when an authority is taking too long. |
Appeals decided | Number of appeals by the date the appeal was decided by The Planning Inspectorate. |
Appeals received | Number of appeals by the date the appeal was received by The Planning Inspectorate. |
Applications | Planning Inspectorate manage the application process for proposed Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) within England and Wales in line with the 2008 Planning Act. |
Closed | The total number of appeals decided, withdrawn, or turned away. |
Decision | The outcome of the case e.g. appeal allowed or rejected. The date of the decision is taken as the date a decision letter is sent to the appellant. |
Event | A site visit, hearing, or inquiry (may be virtual) |
Event Type | The different options of how an Inspector visits a site for a written representations appeal. |
Examinations | The process of examining local plans is dealt with by the Planning Inspectorate. Every Local Planning Authority is required to have a local plan. This includes a vision for the future and plan to address housing needs in the area. |
Examinations | When a Local Planning Authority has finished preparing and consulting on a local plan it must be submitted to the Secretary of State who appoints an Inspector to carry out an independent examination. |
FTE | Full Time Equivalent – a count of employees where those working part time are counted in proportion with their contracted hours. |
Headcount | Total number of staff employed regardless of how many hours they work (i.e. the number of different individuals). |
Hearings | A hearing involves the submission of written evidence by the main parties and a hearing once all the written submissions have been received. |
Hearings | This takes the form of a round-the-table discussion (in person or virtually) that will be led by the planning inspector. It allows for all parties to respond to any questions that the inspector might have, and to let everyone make their case known. |
Hearings | Source: Planning Portal |
Inquiries | An inquiry is usually used for complex cases where legal issues may need to be considered. The main parties will usually have legal representatives to present their case and to cross-examine any witnesses. Prior to the inquiry date, the Planning Inspectorate will expect to have received various documents from all parties that will be taking part in the appeal. These may include statements of case and proofs of evidence from expert witnesses. Third parties may also take part. The inquiry will be led by the inspector and will follow a formal procedure. |
Inquiries | At some point during or on conclusion of the inquiry the inspector and the main parties will undertake a site visit. |
Inquiries | Source: Planning Portal |
Live appeals | Number of live appeals in that have an appeal valid date but no end date (either decision date or a closed date, e.g. for appeals that have been withdrawn). |
Mean | 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 | This is the time taken by the ‘middle’ case if all cases were sorted from quickest to longest |
Open Cases | Number of cases that have been received but on which a decision has not yet been made/ issued. Will differ from Live Appeals as it includes those received but not yet verified. |
Procedure Type | The method by which The Planning Inspectorate processes and decides appeals. |
Standard deviation | This is a measure of variability or spread. It is calculated by examining how much each value differs from the mean. A higher standard deviation means the individual decision times vary more widely around the mean. |
Written Representations | Most planning appeals are decided by the written representations’ procedure. With this procedure the Inspector considers written evidence from the appellant, the LPA and anyone else who has an interest in the appeal. The site is also likely to be visited. |
12. Contact Us
The Planning Inspectorate welcome feedback on our statistical products. If you have any comments or questions about this publication or about our statistics in general, you can contact us as follows:
Media enquiries 0303 444 5004 email press.office@planninginspectorate.gov.uk
Public enquiries email statistics@planninginspectorate.gov.uk
Please note we are currently reviewing our statistics with a view to making them as clear and helpful as possible for users. We would be delighted if you could contact us via the address below with any views on this approach; particularly on what content would be most useful and why.
email statistics@planninginspectorate.gov.uk
If you require information which is not available within this or other available publications, you may wish to submit a Request for Information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to the Planning Inspectorate.