DCLG statistics on planning performance - Public forum - Planning Advisory Service (PAS)

I've had a chance to review this now. The key message for a small number of councils is to submit data or face automatic designation. "Local planning authorities have until 9 August 2013 to complete their statistical returns for the first quarter of 2013 to 2014; and local planning authorities are also encouraged to use this opportunity to fill any gaps in the figures that they have supplied previously."

One aspect of this system was that applications where the applicant had agreed an extension of time for decision (and hence would otherwise be 'out of time') would be excluded from the calculations. Obviously the data that's been published so far is from the CP/CPS stats that are sent to CLG - these do not cater for those agreed time extensions. Is anyone aware of how/when lpa's can submit the necessary data on those to ensure that CLG takes account of them in the final figures?

Two thoughts: The agreed time extensions are only allowed from Q1 2013/14 and this quarter is not included in the publication yesterday. The guidance for submissions suggests that a new column has been added after the PPA columns. I don't have an account so I can't check. Incidentally I went to see the DCLG statisticians recently and they were at pains to stress that people involved in the nitty gritty of submitting numbers should re-read the PSF guidance notes. There have been a few tweaks that may not be immediately obvious. On a more general point, I think DCLG have indicated that they want gaps to be addressed by mid-august.

Ooops. To correct what I said above. All applications which should not be judged against a 13 week target (ie EIA, PPA and extension of time) are all submitted in the column that used to be solely PPA. Note also that compliance with the non-standard timetable is treated as a "win", as opposed to "not a loss" which used to be the case. Therefore, so far as statistics go, you are being positively encouraged to enter into these agreements.

Although DCLG have made a few tweaks to the PSF guidance notes they have once again failed to update the reference to the legislative basis of this guidance. I have emailed them on a number of occasions since 2010 but so far to no avail. The guidance still refers in a number of places to the Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) Order 1995 rather then the Town and Country Planning (Development Management) (Procedure Order 2010.