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Planning Applications
Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what was the average period for a planning application from date of application to decision by the local authority over the last five years. [R] [13596]
Ms Keeble: The information available from the Department is the percentages of applications for planning permission and related consents which are decided within eight weeks, between eight and 13 weeks and in more than 13 weeks. These are shown in the table.
| Percentage | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Decisions within eight weeks | Decisions in eight to 13 weeks | Decisions exceeding 13 weeks | |
| 1996–97 | 64 | 21 | 15 |
| 1997–98 | 62 | 22 | 16 |
| 1998–99 | 62 | 21 | 17 |
| 1999–2000 | 63 | 21 | 16 |
| 2000–01 | 63 | 20 | 17 |
Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the latest annual figures for the number of planning applications under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 in England and Wales by (a) region, (b) the number of applications passed, (c) the number sent to appeal and (d) the number of successful appeals; and if he will provide the same figures for the previous 10 years. [R] [13595]
Ms Keeble: The information for England is in the table. Figures for Wales are not held centrally on a consistent basis and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
(1) Section 70 planning applications, i.e. excludes applications for listed building, advertisement and conservation area consents.
(2) Figures relate to the number of appeals against section 70 planning applications refused in the year, not the number of appeals received in the year
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Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what was the average period for the consideration of an appeal to a planning application, up to a refusal to grant consent, under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 over the last five years. [R] [13593]
Ms Keeble: The provision of information on planning appeals is the responsibility of the Planning Inspectorate. I have asked the inspectorate's Chief Executive, Mr. Chris Shepley, to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from C. J. Shepley to Richard Younger-Ross, dated 14 November 2001:
- The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your Question about the average time taken to determine planning appeals.
- The average times, in weeks, are:
| Period | Written representations | Hearings | Inquiries |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996–97 | 22 | 41 | 45 |
| 1997–98 | 19 | 35 | 41 |
| 1998–99 | 16 | 23 | 32 |
| 1999–2000 | 16 | 19 | 28 |
| 2000–01 | 16 | 19 | 26 |
| 2001–02(3) | 16 | 20 | 27 |
(3) April to September
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Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the average cost is to the Government of hearing planning appeals under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990; and what is the (a) maximum and (b) minimum cost, for each of the last five years. [R] [13594]
Ms Keeble: The Planning Inspectorate has calculated the average unit cost of processing a section 78 inquiry by written representation in each of the last five financial years to be as follows:
| Year | £ |
|---|---|
| 2000–01 | 1,188 |
| 1999–2000 | 1,047 |
| 1998–99 | 854 |
| 1997–98 | 669 |
| 1996–97 | 635 |
The Inspectorate also effects section 78 appeals through hearings and inquiries. Unit costs for these activities have only been calculated for the previous two financial years, and are as follows.
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| £ | |
|---|---|
| Section 78 hearings | |
| 2000–01 | 1,977 |
| 1999–2000 | 2,135 |
| Section 78 inquiries | |
| 2000–01 | 5,967 |
| 1999–2000 | 5,617 |
Current methods of recording inspectorate activity do not provide for the calculation of a minimum and maximum cost in these periods.
Speed Cameras
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions which local authorities do not have (a) speed cameras and (b) plans for their early introduction. [13494]
Mr. Jamieson: The numbers and locations of speed cameras in police force areas are not held centrally. A funding system is now available nationally that covers the
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cost of the purchase and operation of speed cameras and, therefore, removes the key obstacle for camera deployment. It is expected to take around two years for all police force areas wishing to join the scheme to do so.
Street Warden Funding
Mr. Borrow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions which local authorities in the north-west of England were successful in bidding for Street Warden funding; and which were unsuccessful. [13647]
Ms Keeble: The Government office for the north-west received 46 Street Warden bids. Nineteen bids, totalling more than £2.9 million and benefiting each of the region's five counties, received approval.
Organisations other than local authorities, eg housing associations, were eligible to apply under this DTLR-funded pilot scheme. The table shows the successful and unsuccessful bids, the lead agency and the bid area.
| Lead agency | Bid area |
|---|---|
| Successful bids | |
| Bury MBC | Whitefield |
| Chester Community Safety Partnership | Blacon and Lache |
| City of Salford | Winton and Little Hulton |
| Collingwood Housing Association | Spath Lane and Knowle Park |
| Congleton BC | Alsager |
| Derwent and Solway Housing Association | Workington |
| Hyndburn FIRST | Hyndburn |
| Initiative Burnley | Burnley |
| Irwell Valley Housing Association | Sale West and Manor Avenue Estates |
| Lancaster City council | Morecambe |
| Liverpool Housing Trust | Windmill Hill, Runcorn |
| New East Manchester Ltd. | Ancoats and Miles Platting |
| Preston council | Callon, St. Matthews and Ribbleton |
| Riverside Housing Association | Palacefields, Murdishaw, Halton Brook and Halwood Park, Runcorn |
| South Liverpool Housing | Speke and Garston |
| Stockport MBC | Stockport borough |
| Tameside MBC | Tameside |
| Trafford MBC | Lostock, Sale Moor, Broomwood |
| Vale Royal BC | Vale Royal |
| Unsuccessful bids | |
| Blackpool BCI | Grange Park, Mereside and George St./Caunce St. |
| Bolton Town Centre Ltd. | Bolton |
| Bury MBC | Huntley/Topping Fold |
| Carlisle City council | Botcherby, Raffles and Petterill Bank |
| CDS Housing Association | Castlefields, Runcorn |
| Chester Community Safety Partnership | Chester |
| Copeland BC | South Whitehaven |
| Eden BC | Eden |
| Fylde BC | St. Annes, Lytham and Kirkham |
| Groundwork Blackburn | Blackburn |
| Home Housing Association | Maryport |
| Impact Housing Association | Workington |
| Knowsley MBC | Kirkby |
| Liverpool City council | North Liverpool |
| Macclesfield BC | Knutsford, Macclesfield and Wilmslow |
| Manchester City council | Manchester |
| Manchester Housing | Cheetham |
| Metropolitan borough of Wirral | Bidston, Hoylake and Rockferry |
| Oldham council | Oldham |
| Poynton and Worth parish council | Poynton |
| Riverside Housing Association | Linacre |
| Rochdale MBC | Rochdale, Middleton, Heywood and Pennines |
| South Ribble BC | South Ribble |
| St. Helens BC | West Sutton, Parr and Hardshaw and Grange Park |
| Tranmere Housing Regeneration Partnership—Maritime Housing Association | Tranmere |
| West Lancs DC | West Lancs |
| Wigan MBC | Wigan and Leigh |
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