Contentious planning appeals could be resolved in half the time if the government modernised outdated technology systems and employed more planning inspectors, a government-commissioned review of the system has claimed.
Publication of the review commissioned by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government comes only four days after a damning report by the National Audit Office said: “The government’s planning system is underperforming and cannot demonstrate that it is meeting housing demand effectively.”
The review into planning appeal inquiries by Bridget Rosewell, 67, the economist, suggests that the average time it takes to decide what to do about contentious planning issues could be slashed from an average of 47 weeks to about 26 weeks, with some resolved in half that time.
