Record number of quarterly housing planning decisions reached

Decisions on planning applications need to continue to be made more quickly, planning minister Alex Neil said today.

Statistics published today show that between July and September 2014 the highest quarterly number of local housing developments were processed, and more quickly than ever before.

In addition, the average time taken to process both major developments and local developments is lower than last year.

Mr Neil said: “Effective planning is crucial to promoting strong, sustainable economic growth. We need to facilitate new developments and invest in modern infrastructure, while maintaining and creating great places to live and work.

“So I am determined to enhance the reputation of our planning service by quickening momentum on planning performance and driving further improvement.

“Today’s statistics show major developments are being processed more quickly than last year, and sustained good progress on local housing applications and local developments. Planning is about getting the right developments in the right place, and a consistently high approval rate shows authorities are working closely with applicants to meet that aim.

“There is however inconsistency across the country and it’s clear that those authorities with longer timescales are impacting on the averages. I have written to every planning authority to give my comments on all aspects of their performance in the last year, and I will continue to monitor the planning statistics closely.”