Guidance

Appeals: how long they take

Latest average timescales for planning, enforcement and householder appeals.

From:
Planning Inspectorate
Published
1 January 2014
Last updated
2327 MarchApril 2023 — See all updates

Applies to England

Cases decided in FebruaryMarch 2023 – Summary

S78 & Householder appeals

Median (weeks) Mean (weeks) Decisions
s78 planning appeals Written Reps 32 3536 768747
s78 planning appeals Hearings 2639 4247 5356
s78 planning appeals Inquiries 35*31 58*42 18*21
Householder appeals Written Reps 1819 2122 495498

Enforcement appeals

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

Median (weeks) Mean (weeks) Decisions
Written Reps 4858 5061 94176
Hearings 74*69 88*84 17*21
Inquiries 80*224 93*194 19*41

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 2327 MarchApril 2023 + show all updates

  1. Tables updated with March data

  2. Data updated with cases decided in February 2023

  3. Cases decided in January 2023 updated

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

  5. November 2022 - Decisions summary updated

  6. October 2022 - Decisions summary updated

  7. September 2022 - Decisions summary data added

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

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

  10. Data updated with July 2022 - Decisions summary

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

  12. May 2022 data added

  13. Decisions summary updated with April 2022 data

  14. Decisions summary updated with March 2022 data

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

  16. January 2022 data on timeliness

  17. How long appeals take based on December 2021 data

  18. November 2021 figures added

  19. October decisions summary data added

  20. September 2021 data added

  21. August 2021 data added

  22. Tables updated with July data.

  23. Updated appeal timeliness data for June 2021

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

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

  26. March data added to chart

  27. February 2021 - Decisions summary updated

  28. January 2021 - Decisions summary updated

  29. December 2020 - Decisions summary updated

  30. September 2020 data added.

  31. August average performance data added

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

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

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

  35. 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.

  36. Data updated with January 2020 figures

  37. Updated times added

  38. Average timescales updated

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

  40. Average timescales updated

  41. Average timescales updated

  42. Average timescales updated

  43. Average timescales updated

  44. Average times updated

  45. Average times updated

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

  47. Average timescales updated

  48. Latest appeal timescales

  49. Average timescales updated

  50. Data updated

  51. data on handling times updated

  52. average timescales updated

  53. times updated

  54. Average timescales updated

  55. Average timescales updated

  56. Average timescales updated

  57. Average timescales updated

  58. Average timescales updated

  59. Updated data on appeal handling times

  60. indicative times updated

  61. Indicative times updated

  62. Monthly figures updated

  63. pre election advice removed

  64. Monthly stats updated

  65. Monthly Figures updated

  66. Advice on impact of local elections added

  67. Monthly figures updated

  68. Timescales updated

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

  70. Monthly figures updated

  71. Figures updated

  72. figures updated

  73. Monthly figures updated

  74. Updated figures

  75. First published.