Planning Inspectorate Newsletter - Issue 2
Improving the Quality of Statistical Data
The Planning Inspectorate provides statistical data on planning appeals which is used by a wide range of customers including; our sponsor, ODPM, other Government Departments, local planning authorities (LPAs), the planning profession, planning students and members of the public. We are mindful of the need for this information to be both accurate and timely.
During 2005 we implemented a series of measures to improve data quality. However, the sheer volume of numbers (eg S78 planning appeal receipts in excess of 23,000 in 2004-2005) means that we cannot rule out human error in data entry. So, in January 2006 we launched an initiative to ensure that we were ready for the next rounds of Best Value and Planning Delivery Grant. The purpose is to publish on a quarterly basis the outcome of S78 appeals in England and to invite LPAs to check them against their own.
The benefits for LPAs are:
- the opportunity to see the information before it is passed to ODPM;
- the opportunity to query the data used assess abatements for Planning Delivery Grant (PDG) before the allocations are made; and
- the task of measuring performance on S78 and S20 appeals at the end of the financial year against Best Value 204 is reduced if in-year validation has taken place.
The first tranche of data was published on our website in January 2006. LPAs were notified beforehand by e-mail to give them advance warning of the initiative and to confirm the correct contact point. A second e-mail was sent once the appeals data was available to invite LPAs to let us know of any errors. Exceptionally, this first approach to LPAs covered 2 quarters, from July to December 2005. In future, the data will be published quarterly with a full year’s data at the end of the financial year.
87 LPAs contacted us after studying the published figures. We were very pleased with their positive responses and their willingness to work with us to correct mistakes. In some cases the discrepancies arose from a difference of interpretation. In other cases the LPAs’ records were at fault, as confirmed by the decision letter which is the definitive document in each case. However, we have to hold our hands up and admit that there were instances when our records were incorrect in spite of all our checks.
The end of year data is available on our website. We have informed LPAs by e-mail as before. We hope that more LPAs will take up the opportunity to check it against their records and to let us know of any mismatches. We consider that this first attempt at a collaborative approach was very successful and we look forward to working with even more LPAs next time.
Contact point for queries:
Nick. Hall
Central Intelligence Unit
The Planning Inspectorate
5/03, Temple Quay House
2 The Square, Temple Quay, Bristol BS1 6PN
Email:Nick.Hall@pins.gsi.gov.uk
Telephone: 0117 372 6104
Rosemary Cook
Head of Central Intelligence Unit
