Guidance

Appeals: how long they take

Latest average timescales for planning, enforcement and householder appeals.

Applies to England

July 2022 - Decisions summary

S78 & Householder appeals

MeanMedian (weeks) MedianMean (weeks) Decisions (cases)
s78 planning appeals Written Reps 28 31 654
s78 planning appeals Hearings 56 81 46
Inquiry appeals submitted after 1 April 2019    
s78 planning appeals Inquiries 24 29 15
Householder appeals Written Reps 17 20 384

Enforcement appeals

Includes s174 enforcement appeals, s39 enforcement listed building appeals and lawful development certificate appeals

MeanMedian (weeks) MedianMean (weeks) Decisions (cases)
Written Reps 39 53 154
Hearings 75 107 10
Inquiries 53 82 3

Mean Average - The total time taken divided by the number of cases. Also referred to as the ‘average’. A measure of how long each case would take, if the total time taken was spread evenly across all cases.

Median - The middle value, if the times are sorted. This means that half the cases take less then this time; and half the cases take more.

Decisions – number of decisions made.

Please note that the times given here are measured from the time an appeal which we are able to progress (‘valid’) to the time a decision is issued.

The smaller the number of decisions, the less helpful the mean and median are as measures for summarising performance. Particular care should be taken when there are fewer than twenty decisions. These are represented with an * in the table, but have been provided for completeness and transparency.

Each of the measures give a slightly different view of the average time taken to make a decision, both are provided because neither gives a perfect indication of the average. The mean is potentially affected by a small number of cases taking a long time – and this gives an over-estimate. The median is less affected by these few longer cases so may give a more helpful indication of the average.

The mean was published previously so we are publishing it to allow users to compare current with previous data.

In making use of the data provided, users are reminded that some decisions made in the latest month were on cases submitted a years or more before – as such, while they are the most recent snapshot available, they should not be relied on to give a reliable indication of what will happen to a case submitted recently or in the future.

We are reviewing our published information in order to make it more useful and accessible to users – please get in touch with us at statistics@planninginspectorate.gov.uk if you have suggestions on how we could improve the information we provide to you.

Published 1 January 2014
Last updated 1819 August 2022 + show all updates
  1. Inquiry appeals submitted after 1 April 2019 removed as no longer correct

  2. Data updated with July 2022 - Decisions summary

  3. June 2022 information on number and length of decisions made

  4. May 2022 data added

  5. Decisions summary updated with April 2022 data

  6. Decisions summary updated with March 2022 data

  7. Updated with number and length of decisions made in February 2022

  8. January 2022 data on timeliness

  9. How long appeals take based on December 2021 data

  10. November 2021 figures added

  11. October decisions summary data added

  12. September 2021 data added

  13. August 2021 data added

  14. Tables updated with July data.

  15. Updated appeal timeliness data for June 2021

  16. May 2021 data on how long decisions are taking.

  17. April 2021 data added to show how long an appeal has taken.

  18. March data added to chart

  19. February 2021 - Decisions summary updated

  20. January 2021 - Decisions summary updated

  21. December 2020 - Decisions summary updated

  22. September 2020 data added.

  23. August average performance data added

  24. Corona virus information removed and July 2020 - Decisions summary added.

  25. Message regarding the impact of Covid-19 on our average timescales.

  26. The average timescales have been removed as we have postponed site visits, Hearings and Inquiries.

  27. To help delay the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) we are following Government advice on social distancing and avoiding non-essential travel. This has meant it necessary to postpone site visits, Hearings and Inquiries which has affected the time it is taking to deal with some appeals. We are looking ways to mitigate this by using technology and other ways to process appeals without risking the wellbeing of appellants, parties to an appeal and our staff. We apologise for the inconvenience this causes.

  28. Data updated with January 2020 figures

  29. Updated times added

  30. Average timescales updated

  31. Added a link to the Inspectorate's news item on Approach to casework during the pre-election period

  32. Average timescales updated

  33. Average timescales updated

  34. Average timescales updated

  35. Average timescales updated

  36. Average times updated

  37. Average times updated

  38. Updated the first section with a comment realating to the time taken to decide apeals

  39. Average timescales updated

  40. Latest appeal timescales

  41. Average timescales updated

  42. Data updated

  43. data on handling times updated

  44. average timescales updated

  45. times updated

  46. Average timescales updated

  47. Average timescales updated

  48. Average timescales updated

  49. Average timescales updated

  50. Average timescales updated

  51. Updated data on appeal handling times

  52. indicative times updated

  53. Indicative times updated

  54. Monthly figures updated

  55. pre election advice removed

  56. Monthly stats updated

  57. Monthly Figures updated

  58. Advice on impact of local elections added

  59. Monthly figures updated

  60. Timescales updated

  61. The monthly figures and the way they are set out have been updated

  62. Monthly figures updated

  63. Figures updated

  64. figures updated

  65. Monthly figures updated

  66. Updated figures

  67. First published.