Written Question · S4W-25039 · Session 4
How many appeals have been submitted to the Directorate for Planning and Environmental Appeals in each year since 2007-08.
The question
To ask the Scottish Government how many appeals have been submitted to the Directorate for Planning and Environmental Appeals in each year since 2007-08.
The answer
The number of Appeals dealt with by the Planning and Environmental Appeals Division (DPEA) of the Scottish Government is set out in the following table:
Year
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10
2010-11
2011-12
2012-13
2013-14
2014-15
Total number of Appeals
1372
1351
1069
505
570
618
517
549
These figures include planning, enforcement, listed building, advertisement and other types of appeal dealt with by DPEA. The reduction in appeal numbers in 2010-11 was largely as a result of planning reform with the introduction of local review bodies who now deal with appeals in respect of smaller scale planning applications.
Planning reform also changed DPEA’s role in the new system for examining strategic and local development plans and ministers’ expectations that examinations will be completed within 6 to 9 months. This has resulted in a reduction in time from 18 months to 8 months. This improvement has been achieved by assigning teams of reporters to work on plans. The work involved in examining strategic and local development plans now accounts for around one half of DPEA’s workload.
In addition to appeals and development plan examinations, DPEA handles a wide range of casework including applications for consent for major infrastructure projects such as road schemes, ports and harbours, overhead power lines, renewable energy developments, and compulsory purchase orders supporting regeneration projects, the Forth Crossing, and the Commonwealth Games. DPEA also has responsibility for a wide range for environmental appeals and the recently introduced rights of appeal in relation to high hedges. Later this year DPEA will assume responsibility for appeals in relation to the listing of historic buildings and the scheduling of ancient monuments.
Year
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10
2010-11
2011-12
2012-13
2013-14
2014-15
Total number of Appeals
1372
1351
1069
505
570
618
517
549
These figures include planning, enforcement, listed building, advertisement and other types of appeal dealt with by DPEA. The reduction in appeal numbers in 2010-11 was largely as a result of planning reform with the introduction of local review bodies who now deal with appeals in respect of smaller scale planning applications.
Planning reform also changed DPEA’s role in the new system for examining strategic and local development plans and ministers’ expectations that examinations will be completed within 6 to 9 months. This has resulted in a reduction in time from 18 months to 8 months. This improvement has been achieved by assigning teams of reporters to work on plans. The work involved in examining strategic and local development plans now accounts for around one half of DPEA’s workload.
In addition to appeals and development plan examinations, DPEA handles a wide range of casework including applications for consent for major infrastructure projects such as road schemes, ports and harbours, overhead power lines, renewable energy developments, and compulsory purchase orders supporting regeneration projects, the Forth Crossing, and the Commonwealth Games. DPEA also has responsibility for a wide range for environmental appeals and the recently introduced rights of appeal in relation to high hedges. Later this year DPEA will assume responsibility for appeals in relation to the listing of historic buildings and the scheduling of ancient monuments.
In the Official Report
No contribution in the Official Report cites S4W-25039 by reference.