Guidance

Appeals: how long they take

Latest average timescales for planning, enforcement and householder appeals.

From:
Planning Inspectorate
Published
1 January 2014
Last updated
2419 NovemberJanuary 20222023 — See all updates

Applies to England

OctoberCases 2022decided -in DecisionsDecember summary2022 – Summary

S78 & Householder appeals

Median (weeks) Mean (weeks) Decisions (cases)
s78 planning appeals Written Reps 31 3534 737756
s78 planning appeals Hearings 3234 3943 4281
s78 planning appeals Inquiries 2639 2938 2338
Householder appeals Written Reps 19 22 374343

Enforcement appeals

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

Median (weeks) Mean (weeks) Decisions (cases)
Written Reps 4055 4957 12896
Hearings 5468 6575 1169
Inquiries 6845* 6163* 33*

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 2419 NovemberJanuary 20222023 + show all updates

  1. The table has been updated today on the number and length of decisions made in December 2022

  2. November 2022 - Decisions summary updated

  3. October 2022 - Decisions summary updated

  4. September 2022 - Decisions summary data added

  5. Updated number and length of decisions made in August 2022

  6. Inquiry appeals submitted after 1 April 2019 removed as no longer correct

  7. Data updated with July 2022 - Decisions summary

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

  9. May 2022 data added

  10. Decisions summary updated with April 2022 data

  11. Decisions summary updated with March 2022 data

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

  13. January 2022 data on timeliness

  14. How long appeals take based on December 2021 data

  15. November 2021 figures added

  16. October decisions summary data added

  17. September 2021 data added

  18. August 2021 data added

  19. Tables updated with July data.

  20. Updated appeal timeliness data for June 2021

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

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

  23. March data added to chart

  24. February 2021 - Decisions summary updated

  25. January 2021 - Decisions summary updated

  26. December 2020 - Decisions summary updated

  27. September 2020 data added.

  28. August average performance data added

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

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

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

  32. 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.

  33. Data updated with January 2020 figures

  34. Updated times added

  35. Average timescales updated

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

  37. Average timescales updated

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  40. Average timescales updated

  41. Average times updated

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

  44. Average timescales updated

  45. Latest appeal timescales

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  47. Data updated

  48. data on handling times updated

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  56. Updated data on appeal handling times

  57. indicative times updated

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  59. Monthly figures updated

  60. pre election advice removed

  61. Monthly stats updated

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  63. Advice on impact of local elections added

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

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