Planning inquiries will have to be decided within 12 weeks, according to government standards for the Planning Inspectorate.
The targets for appeals and called-in applications were announced yesterday in the House of Commons by planning junior minister Sally Keeble, as part of the wider reforms covered by the planning green paper.
Keeble said : “For the first time, we are setting targets for the handling of enforcement appeals. We are also setting a new target for the handling of called-in planning applications and recovered appeals by the Inspectorate.
“This is part of our green paper drive to deliver essential improvements in the decision-making times in these cases.”
The Inspectorate will have 12 weeks from the close of the inquiry to deliver 80% of reports on called-in and recovered appeal cases to the Secretary of State.
On planning appeals, 80% of written appeals must be decided within 16 weeks, while those decided by hearing and inquiry will have to be decided within 22 weeks and 30 weeks respectively.
Four-fifths of all written enforcement appeals will have to be decided within 32 weeks, with 80% of all hearings and inquiries decided within 33 and 43 weeks respectively.
The Planning Inspectorate will also have to provide an inspector for a development plan inquiry in at least 90% of cases on the date requested by the local authority, and deliver 90% of reports on development plan inquiries to local authorities according to agreed timescales.
EGi News 26/03/02
