Guidance

Appeals: how long they take

Latest average timescales for planning, enforcement and householder appeals.

From:
Planning Inspectorate
Published
1 January 2014
Last updated
2423 OctoberJanuary 20242025 — See all updates

Applies to England

Cases decided in SeptemberDecember 2024 – Summary

S78 & Householder appeals

Median (weeks) Mean (weeks) Decisions
s78 planning appeals Written Reps 2930 3031 724738
s78 planning appeals Hearings 22 3328 5043
s78 planning appeals Inquiries 28*31* 31*33* 10*
Householder appeals Written Reps 1718 2019 258291

Enforcement appeals

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

Median (weeks) Mean (weeks) Decisions
Written Reps 4056 4860 117145
Hearings 102*100 91*167 12*37
Inquiries 22*43* 38*57* 11*16*

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.

Updates to this page

Published 1 January 2014
Last updated 2423 OctoberJanuary 2024 2025 + show all updates

  1. Cases decided in December 2024 data

  2. Updated with September figures

  4. August 2024 figures added

  6. July 2024 data added

  8. June 2024 data added

  10. May 2024 data added

  12. Cases decided in April 2024 – Summary

  14. Updated with March 2024 data

  16. February 2024 data added

  18. January 2024 data added

  20. stats updated for December.

  22. November data added to tables

  24. Cases decided in October 2023

  26. Cases decided in September 2023 – Summary updated

  28. Updated appeal handling time averages for August 2023

  30. July 2023 data added

  32. Tables updated with June 2023 data

  34. May 2023 data added

  36. March 2023 data added

  38. Tables updated with March data

  40. Data updated with cases decided in February 2023

  42. Cases decided in January 2023 updated

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

  46. November 2022 - Decisions summary updated

  48. October 2022 - Decisions summary updated

  50. September 2022 - Decisions summary data added

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

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

  56. Data updated with July 2022 - Decisions summary

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

  60. May 2022 data added

  62. Decisions summary updated with April 2022 data

  64. Decisions summary updated with March 2022 data

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

  68. January 2022 data on timeliness

  70. How long appeals take based on December 2021 data

  72. November 2021 figures added

  74. October decisions summary data added

  76. September 2021 data added

  78. August 2021 data added

  80. Tables updated with July data.

  82. Updated appeal timeliness data for June 2021

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

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

  88. March data added to chart

  90. February 2021 - Decisions summary updated

  92. January 2021 - Decisions summary updated

  94. December 2020 - Decisions summary updated

  96. September 2020 data added.

  98. August average performance data added

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

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

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

  106. 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.

  108. Data updated with January 2020 figures

  110. Updated times added

  112. Average timescales updated

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

  116. Average timescales updated

  118. Average timescales updated

  120. Average timescales updated

  122. Average timescales updated

  124. Average times updated

  126. Average times updated

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

  130. Average timescales updated

  132. Latest appeal timescales

  134. Average timescales updated

  136. Data updated

  138. data on handling times updated

  140. average timescales updated

  142. times updated

  144. Average timescales updated

  146. Average timescales updated

  148. Average timescales updated

  150. Average timescales updated

  152. Average timescales updated

  154. Updated data on appeal handling times

  156. indicative times updated

  158. Indicative times updated

  160. Monthly figures updated

  162. pre election advice removed

  164. Monthly stats updated

  166. Monthly Figures updated

  168. Advice on impact of local elections added

  170. Monthly figures updated

  172. Timescales updated

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

  176. Monthly figures updated

  178. Figures updated

  180. figures updated

  182. Monthly figures updated

  184. Updated figures

  186. First published.

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