Planning cash ‘wasted on town halls’
The government may have wasted money on a funding boost aimed at helping local authorities improve their handling of planning applications, a public spending watchdog has said.
A report by the National Audit Office (NAO) shows that the injection of £68 million and targets set by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has meant decisions regarding planning are taken hastily rather than efficiently.
Decisions to reject planning are reached far quicker than accepting proposed plans, it claims.
Jacqui Lait, shadow minister for planning, said: “This report shows how the government’s crude Whitehall targets are distorting decision making.
“It is now easier for planning departments to meet their targets by refusing a complex application than it is to talk to developers.”
Accepted applications took an average of 25 weeks while 67 per cent of all decisions were made within the 13-week target.
The department’s measurements neglected to consider time spent before the application is processed and the time taken after, however.
This muddies the waters in giving an accurate assessment of how efficiently applications are being processed.
Tim Burr, head of the National Audit Office, said: “Whether the speed of development has increased is less clear. The department should use the data collected by the NAO as a benchmark for assessing its future effectiveness in improving the planning process.”
A DCLG spokesperson said: “We are pleased the NAO recognise we have given local authorities a real financial incentive to speed up their decision-making process.
“We are looking at the NAO’s recommendations, in conjunction with those arising from the Killian Pretty review, to make further improvements to the planning process.”
The figures given by the department show there has been significant improvements with the speed at which applications are processed.
