RE: New designation for non-majors

Planning Advisory Service (PAS)

Open group | Started - July 2012 | Last activity - April

Richard Crawley, modified 8 Years ago.

New designation for non-majors

Expert Posts: 253 Join Date: 07/12/11 Recent Posts

In the recent mega-consultation DCLG set out some ideas for the performance levels on non-majors - the two numbers they have shared are 60% and 70%

I have made a spreadsheet that you can use as a crystal ball, to understand what levels of performance you need to hit in order to meet 70.1% at the most likely* point of designation.

There are some councils who should be very worried about this, just because we are already halfway through the assessment period.

I can't warrant that my framework is bullet proof - I provide it just to be helpful.

If you are worried (and we have not already been in contact with you) then please get in touch.

Find the crystal ball over here.

[edit] * I don't really mean 'likely'. I mean 'worst case'

designation

Jenna Rumley, modified 8 Years ago.

RE: New designation for non-majors

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Hi Richard,

Thanks for this it's really useful. Could I just ask one question?

The published informartion on DCLG's website, namely the table 153. It doesn't seem to be including all the data we return to Government for 'Other' categories. The categories that seem to be omitted on the published data is: Advertisements, LBC's and Demolition in CA's?

Do you know why this would be? We report these categories to Government, so I would have thought this information would have been published and used as part of the designation process. I don't know about other LPA's, but we monitor our performance on a weekly basis and we include all categories reported to DCLG. Hence why my data differs to the published document.

If the Government propose to designate not using some of these categories then LPA's are going to be in an unepxected position.

If you are unsure of this I'll contact DCLG and ask them to confirm why these categories are not part of the published data, and whether we should not be including these categories when monitoring our performance.

Cheers

Jenna

Richard Crawley, modified 8 Years ago.

RE: New designation for non-majors

Expert Posts: 253 Join Date: 07/12/11 Recent Posts

Hi Jenna,

I don't know is the honest answer. I only sometimes see the practice notes that come out from DCLG to inform the whole PS2 (or whatever it's called now) process, so I also don't know whether you've found a bug or a feature.

I'll mention it to DCLG but it may be worth you doing it through the official channels because you can demonstrate (with your data) what the issue is.

Well done for spotting it.

Rich

Jenna Rumley, modified 8 Years ago.

RE: New designation for non-majors

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Will do. I'll let you know what they say.

Regards

Jenna

Nigel Scollin, modified 8 Years ago.

RE: New designation for non-majors

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Jenna

Thank you for drawing this anomaly to our attention. I'd never noticed this before!

Those who are responsible to submitting and statistics to the DCLG and monitoring their own performance need to be aware that the performance figures reproduced in table 153 exclude the figures for adverts and heritage applications (i.e. Q21-Q25), which may mean that the figures which the DCLG will be using for designation, may be different from those you think that you have 'achieved'!

Jenna Rumley, modified 8 Years ago.

RE: New designation for non-majors

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Exactly Nigel. I have used Richard's 'crystall ball' based on the exclusion and inclusion of these categories. Luckily we're fine regardless, but I'm sure many Authorites won't be in the same position. CLG have acknowledged my email about this and they're looking in to it. I'll post when I receive a response.

Cheers

Jenna

Former Member, modified 8 Years ago.

RE: New designation for non-majors

Para 7.7 of the consultation document says

7.7 We consider ‘non-major development’ to constitute applications for minor developments, changes of use (where the site area is less than one hectare) and householder developments54. This is consistent with the data we have been publishing since March 2015 on the speed and quality of decisions on non-major development55.

So the new Non Majors designation will only be for performance on those minors, householders and change of use applications and not the adverts etc.

The second sentence could well be taken to mean that they changed what was reported in table 153 from including the other categories mentioned by Jemma, to just including those mentioned in the current list. I had previously thought that this just referred to the fact that before March 2015, there was no line for reporting EoT or PPAs for these applications. Would be useful to get clarification from DCLG.

Richard Crawley, modified 8 Years ago.

RE: New designation for non-majors

Expert Posts: 253 Join Date: 07/12/11 Recent Posts

From the horse's mouth:

[Table 153] includes minor developments, changes of use where the site area is less than one hectare, householder developments and ‘district matters’ decisions on minerals processing (for quarters up to 31 March 2014, after which the relevant question was removed from the PS1/2 form).

[…] this equates to Q13, Q14, Q15, Q16, Q17, Q18, Q20 and Q21 of PS2. The data up to March 2014 will also include any application provided under Q19 (minerals processing), which is no longer within PS2.

Jenna Rumley, modified 8 Years ago.

RE: New designation for non-majors

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I've received the same this morning:

Table 153 shows all non-major planning applications (other applications in this context are applications for change of use) it doesn’t include other consents that are not an application for planning permission. Designations will be made on the data in Table 153.

The following explanation of how the data is collated should be useful:

The data includes minor developments, changes of use where the site area is less than one hectare, householder developments and 'district matters' decisions on minerals processing (for quarters up to 31 March 2014, after which the relevant question was removed from the PS1/2 form).

My colleagues in the statistics team inform me that this equates to Q13, Q14, Q15, Q16, Q17, Q18, Q20 and Q21 of PS2 (as highlighted below). Up to March 2014,they will also include Q19 (minerals processing), which is no longer within PS2.

cid:image007.png@01D11E23.BE096370

Former Member, modified 8 Years ago.

RE: New designation for non-majors

Richard,

If this does ahead, hopefully DCLG will omit the word "average" from the Regs. For those who haven't seen it, look at the thread "Criteria for Designation" from 2013.

Nigel Scollin, modified 7 Years ago.

RE: New designation for non-majors

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Anyone heard anything further about this? We've made a concerted effort this year to boost non-major performance in the expectation that, as the consultation document indicated, the first designations would be made in Oct-Dec 2016, covering the period Oct 2014- Sep 2016, however LAs are usually given one quarter's notice, which would mean that the proposed thresholds should have been laid before parliament, or circulated to LAs, in July at the latest.

Richard Crawley, modified 7 Years ago.

RE: New designation for non-majors

Expert Posts: 253 Join Date: 07/12/11 Recent Posts

Unhelpfully I've heard various rumours that suggest either

- there is an announcement real soon (next week), or

- all designation / performance stuff is going to be delayed until next year

Take your pick!

Or rather, work to the precautionary principle that the timetable you outlined is going to happen, despite parliament having lots of different fish to fry just at the moment ...

Former Member, modified 7 Years ago.

RE: New designation for non-majors

We had advice from DCLG at the start of August that the consideration of designation will be based on the data published in December, that will include applications determined up until the end of September. Their position may have changed since then and as metioned above no public announcement has been made.

Nigel Scollin, modified 7 Years ago.

RE: New designation for non-majors

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The SI allowing for the designation of LAs for Special Measures on non-major applications comes into force on 21st October:

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2016/944/contents/made

John Theobald, modified 7 Years ago.

RE: New designation for non-majors

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The new criteria for designation has just come out:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/571144/Improving_Planning_Performance_-_Criteria_for_Designation__revised_2016_.pdf

Speed of non-majors is a new performance measure, at 65% initially (70% in 2018). Majors remain at 50% until 2018 when they rise to 60%.

Regards, John

Former Member, modified 7 Years ago.

RE: New designation for non-majors

Worth noting that non-majors are defined as those in categorties Q13-21 not all the "minors" and "others" and are those in table 153 of the CLG's live tables.

The latest published ones (the two years up to 30th June) are easiily viewed if you google - planning live tables clg

They are ranked in descending order and you can see that here were quite a few councils below the threshold as of 3 months ago. Here's hoping that their last quarter was better than the corresponding one 2 years previously!

Former Member, modified 7 Years ago.

RE: New designation for non-majors

Good that the figures for designation have been confirmed, albeit they are to be applied retrospectively to Sept 2014-Sept 2016.

Based upon Richard’s previous posts I imagine that this retrospective approach allows DCLG to assess the latest batch of figures and set a threshold which pulls enough, but not too many, LPAs into designation.

DCLG will have a list of the LPAs who would be designated given the proposed figures, but this has not been included in the document presented to Parliament; I would have thought this would have provided useful context for the figures chosen.

It will of course be possible to identify the LPAs involved when the end of Sept figures are published in December.

Former Member, modified 7 Years ago.

RE: New designation for non-majors

Great tool, thank you Richard. (Any chance of one on the quality criteria?)

Richard Crawley, modified 7 Years ago.

RE: New designation for non-majors

Expert Posts: 253 Join Date: 07/12/11 Recent Posts

Thanks - have a look in the adjacent thread for my first go at a crystal ball for 2017.

I confess I was taken aback at how little of the 'quality' year is left ...

Former Member, modified 7 Years ago.

RE: New designation for non-majors

Thanks Richard. Do you know when CLG will extend Live Tables 152 and 154 beyond December 2014?

Richard Crawley, modified 7 Years ago.

RE: New designation for non-majors

Expert Posts: 253 Join Date: 07/12/11 Recent Posts

My understanding (can't remember why I think this) is that table 152 and 154 are wrong, so they won't be extended. They will be replaced with data that might look quite different based on a new way of counting what is a 'major' from PINS.

But no - I've got no idea of when this will be.

I hope that someone has thought through the fact that appeals take a varying length of time to reach resolution so the figures will change, sometimes after quite a considerable time. Perhaps I should tweak the crystal ball so you can record the fact there are appeal results outstanding ?

Can someone fill it in with real data and ping it to me so I can see what it looks like ?

Former Member, modified 7 Years ago.

RE: New designation for non-majors

Hi I am having some problems with definitions in the legislation

I am happy with the definition of major as it is the normal one

however, the new SI 2016 No. 944 defines non major development as meaning "development which is not major development"

I have found the explanatory memorandum to the Improving Planning Performance document which does help with some things but I cannot track down the legal definition of a non major application.

In theory it is going to be all applications with a PS Code greater than 12 but excluding applications not made under the 1990 planning act and certificates of lawfulness but where legaly is this defined?

any ideas

Richard Crawley, modified 7 Years ago.

RE: New designation for non-majors

Expert Posts: 253 Join Date: 07/12/11 Recent Posts

I can't answer your question about legal definition. The live tables themselves say they relate to PS2 thusly

Q13: minor dwellings

Q14: minor offices / R&D / light industry

Q15: general industry / storage / warehousing

Q16: retail and service

Q17: traveller caravan pitches

Q18: all other minor developments

Q20: change of use

Q21: householder developments

Former Member, modified 7 Years ago.

RE: New designation for non-majors

oops found the definition in the SI 2016 No. 944

so with the exception of details submitted following a permission in principle and applications to remove or vary a planning condition , non majors will be anything not a major which is an application for planning permission to develop land.

so excluding Section 73 applications that will give us PS codes 13 -21 inclusive

Former Member, modified 7 Years ago.

RE: New designation for non-majors

any idea how we distinguish the section 73 applications in the statistics recorded.

we record section 73 applications under the original PS code number. I can exclude them for our internal stats but they are reported in the PS 1/2 reurn as the original ps code reference. what does everyone else do?

Richard Crawley, modified 7 Years ago.

RE: New designation for non-majors

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This is a good question, but I think there is a different way of looking at it.

The applications for which an authority might be designated might exclude s73 applications. [like, for non-majors, they exclude householders]

The calculation used to decide which council is designated is based on PS2, which gives an advantage because it includes s73 in the denominator.

What's the problem ? These things work in our favour, I think.

Nigel Scollin, modified 7 Years ago.

RE: New designation for non-majors

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So, let me make sure that I've got this right. Section 73 applications for variation/removal of conditions on a planning application, which were previously classified as either major or non-major, according to the relevant classification of the original planning permission, are now to be coded as, in effect, what used to be a Q28 'other' application (commencing 21st October).

Which means that when the next set of designations are made at the end of 2017, they will be measuring 4 quarters figures with Section 73 applications included and 4 quarters with them excluded.

Nigel Scollin, modified 7 Years ago.

RE: New designation for non-majors

New Member Posts: 18 Join Date: 19/10/11 Recent Posts

Am I also correct in assuming that although the Section 73 applications are no longer counted for PS1 & PS2 purposes, the publicity arrangements remain unchanged, as per the Procedure order?

Former Member, modified 7 Years ago.

RE: New designation for non-majors

I think I have posted this entry on the wrong thread so I am sorry if this repeats

Can someone confirm my understanding about quality of decision?

the decsions made on themajor/ non major applications within a 2 year period will be looked at 9 months later to see which ones appealed. We are then looking at no more than 10% appeals allowed on decsions that were made in that specific 2 year period?

Have I got that right?

thanks

John Theobald, modified 7 Years ago.

RE: New designation for non-majors

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RE Tables 152 & 154

I dropped the DCLG an email a couple of weeks ago, here's their response...

"Although we and the Planning Inspectorate are making progress on addressing the technical concerns on the appeals data, we don’t yet have a date for the next update of live tables P152 and P154.

As you may be aware, Simon Gallagher’s letter of 22 November to Chief Planners (attached) indicated that the Department “will not be assessing local authorities’ performance on the quality of their decisions on either major or non-major applications in 2017 but for applications for both major and non-major development in the 2018 designation round” and so we will need to have resolved all the concerns in time for robust figures to be available for early 2018 – and although we are intending to have produced updated tables in good time for that, we are not currently working to a precise timescale."

Regards, John

Toby Hamilton, modified 7 Years ago.

RE: New designation for non-majors

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Looks like the DCLG has released the updated stats for the speed of decisions in the live tables :

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-planning-application-statistics

They now cover October 2014 - September 2016 which is the full period for the new designation assessment.

Seem to be 14 authorities have been caught below the new 'non-major development' designation threshold, including some big authorities.

Sarah Iles, modified 7 Years ago.

RE: New designation for non-majors

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Happy New Year to you all.

It is quite possible that I am missing the obvious, but where are the performance figures (Oct 14 - Sep 16) for non-majors for Counties? Table 153 published in December covers the performance of District planning authorities - speed of non-major development decisions, and includes Unitaries and National Parks. Table 151b covers Counties for major development, but I can't find anything for non-major development performance (this would be our Reg 3 applications), other than Tables 143 and 144 which are Reg 3 & 4 applications quarterly and annually, respectively.

The Criteria for Designation (Dec 2016) document refers to just Table 153 for speed of non-major development, so I think I am looking in the right place. However, happy for someone to tell me I have been looking in the wrong place, or better still that Counties are excluded from this!

Thanks,

Sarah

Richard Crawley, modified 7 Years ago.

RE: New designation for non-majors

Expert Posts: 253 Join Date: 07/12/11 Recent Posts

Hello Sarah,

I didn't think that counties were involved in non-major designation, although I've just skim-read the criteria document again and it doesn't say so.

I'll ask ...

Nigel Scollin, modified 7 Years ago.

RE: New designation for non-majors

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FYI- I emailed the DCLG regarding how to deal with Section 73 applications in the PS1/2s

The Guidance Notes for PS2 states: On the PS2 form, the application for a variation or removal of condition should be coded under the same code as the original application (i.e. if original application was for a minor development, the application for a removal of condition should also be classified as a minor development).

Yet SI 2016 No.944, which came into force on 21^st October excludes variation of condition applications from the performance measures

Which is the correct approach?

Their response: I can confirm that the PS2 form guidance is the correct approach. We are aware of the inconsistency you have flagged, and it is a matter that we have been able to address for those authorities who may be liable for designation in 2017, and which we can address more generally for the 2018 designation round