Planning Inspectorate Newsletter - Issue 4
The Planning Inspectorate Recovery Plan
The Planning Inspectorate is committed to achieving all its performance targets during this financial year. To assist in achieving this objective the Inspectorate has adopted a “Recovery Plan” for cases in England. It is based upon the best information we have about our resources and the anticipated demands which will be placed on them during the remainder of the year.
Written representations
The Inspectorate is currently meeting - and often exceeding - Ministerial targets for written representation appeals, but cannot sacrifice performance as a means of meeting targets on hearings and inquiries. For this reason, the recovery plan monitors the number of cases waiting for a site visit.
Hearings and inquiries
The graphs below measure the gap between cases ‘start date’ and the event date. We have counted (and assumed) the numbers of cases with start dates and calculated on the basis of expected/target rates of work, when these events will take place. Once we reach the point where events are taking place within 6 months of the start date, we reach the “tipping point” from which there should be sufficient time for decisions to be issued in target.
The following is a summary of how our recovery will impact upon the time elapsed between start dates and events.
These dates/timings can be regarded as our expected performance in general terms (there will always be exceptions) but note that in the case of hearings and inquiries, the information relates to our first offer date (which the parties have a right to decline).
Written representation cases
Start dates |
Event |
Any |
between 12-14 weeks of start date. |
Hearings
10+ Housing cases
Start dates |
First offer date |
Any |
Within 20 weeks of start date. |
General section 78 cases
Start dates |
First offer date |
February, March or April 06 |
November 06 |
May 06 |
December 06 |
June or July 06 |
January 07 |
August to November 06 |
between 22 to 26 weeks from start date |
Local inquiries
10+ Housing cases
Start dates |
First offer date |
Any |
Within 20 weeks of start date. |
SoS cases (including called in, recovered and CPOs)
Start dates |
First offer date |
Any |
Within 22 weeks of start date. |
General section 78 cases (for inquiries with a duration of less than a week)
Start dates |
First offer date |
October 05 to January 06 |
October 06 |
February 06 to April 06 |
November 06 |
May 06 to July 06 |
December 06 or January 07 |
August 06 to October 06 |
February 07 |
November onwards |
approximately 22 weeks from start date |
Phil Hammond
Operations Manager, Chartroom
