The Planning Inspectorate normally carries out an annual customer satisfaction survey, and until now this has covered a separate area of work each year. In 2000-01 we surveyed customer satisfaction with our performance in handling development plan inquiries, and in 2001-02 the survey covered our work on rights of way cases.

For 2002-03, one of the Inspectorate’s key targets was to survey customer satisfaction with the Inspectorate’s performance overall. Following a careful review of possible approaches to the work, including a European Union procurement exercise, we commissioned Faber Maunsell to carry out the survey and report on the results.

The survey, which is intended to follow a three-year programme, will cover all of the Inspectorate’s main business areas. For 2002-03, we have focused on:

Planning appeals under s78 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990
Enforcement appeals under s174 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990
Development Plans
Rights of Way appeals
Advertisement appeals
Call-in cases

The survey examined customer satisfaction with the inspectorate in these business areas, from first contact through to attendance at inquiries, the decision or report stage itself, and any subsequent involvement with us. In addition, the survey explored customer satisfaction and views on:

Electronic working
The handling of complaints
The role of them Inspectorate Customer Support Unit
Welsh aspects of the Inspectorate business

The three-year approach

Conducting the survey over three years offers a number of advantages. These include:

· tracking satisfaction over the three-year period, with the option of repeating certain core questions to monitor progress
· flexibility to cover different areas of the inspectorate business and services provided over the three year period, with scope to add and remove questions in each year
· assessing the progress and effectiveness of improvements recommended by the study

To help ensure continuity, we have asked Faber Maunsell to continue working with the Inspectorate in carrying out the 2003-04 survey.

Sampling and Methodology

Following database analysis, Faber Maunsell drew a random sample of 5000 customers involved in planning appeals, rights of way cases, call-in cases, advertisement appeals and development plan inquiries during the year.

Following a pilot survey, researchers conducted a postal survey of the customers selected in the sample, followed by a telephone survey for people who had not responded initially. A total of 1650 customers returned the questionnaire (a 33% response rate). The consultants also carried out a number of in-depth interviews with a range of customers, including both focus groups and one-to-one interviews, to help scope the survey and to provide qualitative as well as quantitative analysis, including an interview with the Advisory Panel on Standards (APOS). This emphasis on qualitative analysis is a distinguishing mark of the new survey approach.

Survey results

The survey results showed that sixty-six per cent of respondents were either satisfied or very satisfied with the performance of the Inspectorate overall. The main findings of the survey were that:

· Satisfaction levels were generally high (70-80% on average) across all the Inspectorate’s business streams and services.

· There was a very high level of satisfaction with Inspectors and administrative staff. Over 80% of respondents were satisfied with their contacts with both, particularly for courtesy and helpfulness.

There were no significant differences in survey responses from customers in Wales, who were asked the same questions as in England.

Next steps

Having considered the report’s findings, the Inspectorate will now be taking action on areas where it can help speed the planning process and further improve the quality of its work. We have asked Faber Maunsell to assist with this, and to include further research on a number of areas of interest that emerged from the study in the 2003-04 survey process.

Proposed actions

Proposed actions include the inspectorate involvement in further focus group meetings with customers, facilitated by our consultants, as part of the 2003-04 survey. Among other things, the groups may be asked to consider the perceived role of the inspectorate, the constraints faced by the various parties involved in the planning process, and whether measures may already be planned that will address the issues that customers have raised in response to the study. We have also asked the consultants to consider the causes of perceived delay and possible ways to reduce it in some types of casework. Attention will also be given to the guidance given to Inspectors, office staff and to customers themselves to ensure that any areas of concern identified in the study are dealt with appropriately.

Conclusion

The results of the survey are very welcome for the Inspectorate. There is a high level of overall satisfaction with our work, and there continues to be a good perception of the Inspectorate generally, including both the work of Inspectors themselves and the work carried out by administrators at Temple Quay House.

Once again, we would like to offer our thanks to the many people who took part in the survey.

The 2002-03 survey was arranged and project-managed by an Inspectorate team consisting of Malcolm Brady, David Halstead and Jane Huntbach. Jeremy Hardin was lead consultant for Faber Maunsell.

(May 2003)

Download the Customer Survey Report 2002 - 2003 in PDF format 623 kb

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