« Previous | Contents | Next »
Listen
2002 FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE PLANNING AUDIT UNIT
Scottish Executive Performance
Structure Plans
Scottish Ministers aim to approve structure plans within 40 weeks of submission, unless an EIP is necessary. Performance in processing submitted plans to approval against the 40-week target leaves considerable room for improvement, although in some cases the delay in approval was as a result of legal challenge. The target is clearly demanding yet the intention remains to try to reach it whenever possible. Most recently, the Dundee and Angus plan was successfully determined in 36 weeks.
STRUCTURE PLANS: TIME TAKEN FOR APPROVAL
Structure Plan | Submitted: | Approved: | Weeks: |
Highland | 17 March 2000 | 23 March 2001 | 53 |
Lothian (Opencast) | 31 March 2000 | 19 March 2001 | 50 |
North East Scotland Together | 26 April 2001 | 21 December 2001 | 34 |
Glasgow & The Clyde Valley | 19 July 2000 | 1 May 2002 | 93 |
Stirling & Clackmannanshire | 24 August 2000 | 21 March 2002 | 82 |
Shetland Islands | 4 September 2000 | 19 January 2001 | 20 |
Fife | 31 January 2001 | 3 July 2002 | 74 |
Falkirk | 5 February 2001 | 29 May 2002 | 69 |
Orkney | 18 May 2001 | 29 November 2001 | 28 |
Borders | 31 May 2001 | 12 September 2002 | 67 |
Argyll & Bute | 19 November 2001 | 14 November 2002 | 52 |
Dundee & Angus | 8 February 2002 | 14 October 2002 | 36 |
Casework
In the period April 2001 - March 2002, 92% of cases notified to Scottish Ministers were determined within 28 days against a target of 80%, while 98% were determined within two months against a target of 100%. Since 1997/98 the Executive has improved its performance against both targets.
Notified Applications (including NIDs): time taken to clear or call-in
| Total Cases | In 28 days | % | In 2 months | % |
1997/98 | 213 | 179 | 84 | 204 | 96 |
1998/99 | 242 | 201 | 83 | 227 | 94 |
1999/00 | 261 | 213 | 82 | 243 | 93 |
2000/01 | 282 | 242 | 86 | 273 | 97 |
2001/02 | 251 | 230 | 92 | 247 | 98 |
2002/03* | 156 | 129 | 83 | 135 | 87 |
* 6 months only
In the same period the percentage of decisions on inquiry cases made within two and three months of receipt of report from Scottish Executive Inquiry Reporters Unit (SEIRU) was 75% against a target of 80% and 81% against a target of 100% respectively.
Inquiry Cases (including recalled appeals and called-in notified and NID cases): time taken to determine from receipt of report from SEIRU
| Total Cases | In 2 months | % | In 3 months | % |
1997/98 | 49 | 41 | 84 | 46 | 94 |
1998/99 | 58 | 50 | 86 | 56 | 97 |
1999/00 | 47 | 28 | 60 | 37 | 79 |
2000/01 | 71 | 48 | 68 | 62 | 87 |
2001/02 | 58 | 44 | 75 | 47 | 81 |
2002/03* | 27 | 20 | 74 | 23 | 85 |
* 6 months only
Scottish Ministers Involvement in Planning Cases
The table below sets out the number of planning decisions made in each local authority and the level of Scottish Executive involvement (the number of notified applications, Notice of Intention to Develop cases and recalled appeals). Since the number of cases annually is fairly small, the figures are given for the period April 1996 to March 2002. Ministers' involvement in casework is very limited in all parts of the country compared to the total number of decisions made by councils.
PLANNING DECISIONS AND SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE CASES: April 1996-March 2002
| Total decisions | Total Executive cases decided |
Aberdeen City | 12863 | 2 |
Aberdeenshire | 20036 | 9 |
Angus | 6767 | 0 |
Argyll & Bute | 7852 | 14 |
Clackmannanshire | 2012 | 0 |
Dumfries & Galloway | 9771 | 3 |
Dundee City | 4724 | 4 |
E. Ayrshire | 4678 | 3 |
E. Dunbartonshire | 4651 | 3 |
E. Lothian | 6411 | 5 |
E. Renfrewshire | 3862 | 4 |
Edinburgh | 21311 | 15 |
Falkirk | 4973 | 6 |
Fife | 20355 | 9 |
Glasgow | 18400 | 12 |
Highland | 21107 | 37 |
Inverclyde | 2913 | 2 |
Midlothian | 3976 | 11 |
Moray | 6186 | 2 |
N. Ayrshire | 4616 | 2 |
N. Lanarkshire | 8794 | 27 |
Orkney | 2025 | 0 |
Perth and Kinross | 10487 | 4 |
Renfrewshire | 5841 | 3 |
Scottish Borders | 8997 | 6 |
Shetland | 2247 | 5 |
South Ayrshire | 7390 | 4 |
South Lanarkshire | 10296 | 18 |
Stirling | 5605 | 6 |
W. Dunbartonshire | 2653 | 1 |
W. Lothian | 6175 | 1 |
Western Isles | 2271 | 1 |
Scotland TOTAL | 257545 | 219 |
The table below shows notified cases. Over the period April 1996 - March 2002, 976 cases were notified to the Scottish Ministers. During that period 190 (19%) were called-in and a decision to refuse was made in 83 (9%). Glasgow and North Lanarkshire Councils had the highest number of notified applications, while Highland Council had the highest number called-in and refused, most were trunk road referrals.
CASES NOTIFIED TO SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE, CALL-INS, REFUSALS: April 1996-March 2002
| Notified cases | Called-in | Refused |
Aberdeen City | 19 | 5 | 1 |
Aberdeenshire | 48 | 6 | 0 |
Angus | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Argyll & Bute | 30 | 9 | 6 |
Clackmannanshire | 6 | 0 | 0 |
Dumfries & Galloway | 23 | 6 | 3 |
Dundee City | 12 | 1 | 0 |
E. Ayrshire | 36 | 4 | 1 |
E. Dunbartonshire | 14 | 0 | 0 |
E. Lothian | 9 | 1 | 0 |
E. Renfrewshire | 20 | 2 | 1 |
Edinburgh | 54 | 10 | 3 |
Falkirk | 22 | 5 | 2 |
Fife | 40 | 2 | 1 |
Glasgow | 117 | 6 | 4 |
Highland | 72 | 35 | 19 |
Inverclyde | 10 | 1 | 0 |
Midlothian | 55 | 16 | 7 |
Moray | 37 | 3 | 1 |
N. Ayrshire | 20 | 3 | 2 |
N. Lanarkshire | 95 | 24 | 13 |
Orkney | 4 | 0 | 0 |
Perth and Kinross | 10 | 6 | 3 |
Renfrewshire | 27 | 2 | 1 |
Scottish Borders | 18 | 5 | 3 |
Shetland | 11 | 4 | 5 |
South Ayrshire | 41 | 3 | 1 |
South Lanarkshire | 60 | 21 | 5 |
Stirling | 21 | 3 | 1 |
W. Dunbartonshire | 7 | 0 | 0 |
W. Lothian | 52 | 7 | 0 |
Western Isles | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Scotland TOTAL | 976 | 190 | 83 |
« Previous | Contents | Next »