There has been an improvement in planning performance, according to Scotland's Chief Statistician.

The percentage of local applications decided within two months was 67.1 per cent in the period April - June 2010, an increase from 62.7 per cent between August 2009 - March 2010.

The percentage of major applications decided in under four months increased to 32.0 per cent in the period April - June 2010, from 27.3 per cent in the period August 2009 - March 2010

The number of planning applications decided by Scotland's planning authorities in this three-month period was 11,217.

As these statistics are the first quarterly figures for the planning performance statistics, there are no directly comparable figures from previous years. However, 14,959 applications (a third more) were decided in the four month period from April-July 2009, indicating a similar rate of decisions being made.


Approval rates of all applications remained at 93 per cent.

From April 2010, the planning performance statistics are collected on a quarterly basis. Prior to this, these statistics were collected annually. Therefore, comparisons on the number of applications received are not available.

As part of modernising planning the main legislative changes to Development Management, including planning application procedures, enforcement, planning appeal procedures and new local review procedures took effect from August 3, 2009.

The Planning authority performance data returns were revised to align these returns with the new planning system. The return has a greater emphasis on the hierarchy of developments, and thresholds to distinguish between major and local developments have been revised. As such, performance data prior to August 3, 2009 is not comparable with that after August 3, 2009, except at an aggregate level. Comparisons in this publication are therefore made only to planning applications decided in 2009/10 on August 3 or later.

Official statistics are produced by professionally independent statistical staff.

(GK)