Report Reference: 7.0 Regulatory and Other Committee Open Report on behalf of Richard Wills Executive Director for Communities Report to: Planning and Regulation Committee Date: 3 October 2011 Subject: Publication by Local Authorities of information about handling of planning applications – 2010-2011 Summary: This report provides information on the handling of planning applications during the year ending 31 March 2011. As required by Circular 28/83 it highlights the time taken to determine County Matter applications and the situation of such applications ‘in hand’ at that date. Recommendations: 1. That the report is received and appropriate publicity given to the County Council’s performance as set out in Table 2. 2. That the text of the Annual Development Management Report be approved. DISCUSSION 1. DOE Circular 28/83 requires local authorities to publish information about the handling of planning applications. This paper provides statistics on planning applications and allied matters dealt with by the County Planning Authority for the year ending 31 March 2011 and provides an annual overview of the quarterly reports. 2. Table 1 – Number of Applications Determined/Received 2010-11 2008-092009-10 2007-08 2006-07 County Matters 55 45 47 47 58 County Council Applications 89 99 65 74 70 Applications Received 171 170 162 179 125 It should be noted that ‘withdrawn’ applications are excluded from the figures. Of the 89 County Council applications determined in 2010-2011, 57 (64%) were determined under delegated powers. A total of 19 County Matter applications and 5 County Council applications were withdrawn. A total of 171 applications Page 1 were received during the year, this figure excludes details in discharge applications. 3. Table 2 – Time taken to determine County Matter Applications This table deals with the total time elapsed from the receipt of a County Matter application to the issue to the applicant of a formal decision notice (planning permission/refusal). As Councillors will be aware, Central Government collects information form all planning authorities allowing a comparison of ‘performance’ to be made. Lincolnshire Lincolnshire Comparable 2010-2011 2009-2010 National Average 2010-2011 Percentage 5.45% 4.44% 13% determined within 8 weeks Percentage 56.36% 65% 63% determined within 13 weeks Percentage 70.90% 66.67% 71% determined within 17 weeks These percentages are cumulative, not additive. The target for 2010-2011 was to determine 65% of County Matter applications in 13 weeks (excluding those accompanied by Environmental Statements). 4. Table 3 – Undetermined County Matter Applications This table deals with County Matter applications that have been through the committee process and have received a determination but are still in hand (no decision notices have been issued) pending the resolution of outstanding matters, principally in terms of legal agreements. At 1 At 1 At 1 At 1 At 1 April April April April April 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 Over 8 and up to 13 0 - - - weeks Over 13 and up to 17 1 0 - - - weeks Over 17 weeks 11 14 11 13 10 5. The applications in hand are listed in Appendix A attached. Page 2 On 1 April 2011 there were 10 County Matter applications more than 13 weeks old still to be brought to Committee for determination. These are listed in Appendix B attached. Comment 6. At the start of the last financial year the Development Management Team for the first time in many years was in a position of having the majority of posts filled. Having staff in post resulted in the Team being able to meet the target of determining 65% of County Matter applications within 13 weeks. As a result of the reduction in national budgets the two vacancies present at the start of the year were managed by use of consultants. As a result of budget reductions the two vacancies and an Enforcement Assistant’s post were deleted from the establishment. Unfortunately another member of staff in an assimilated post also left the authority; consultants are being used to cover that post. In the current climate the impact upon local government spending plans will understandably have an effect upon the number of applications received. The situation is being monitored in relation to work levels and income terms. It is inevitable that performance will decline due to this reduction in capacity the target of applications to be determined in 13 weeks has therefore been reduced to 63%. Annual Report 7. This report along with the annual Planning Policy report will be presented to the relevant Scrutiny Committee for consideration. RECOMMENDATIONS 1. That the report is received and noted. Appendices These are listed below and attached at the back of the report Appendix A County Matter Applications in hand as at 1 April 2011 Appendix B County Matter Applications more than 13 weeks old as at 1 April 2011 Page 3 Background Papers No Background Papers within Section 100D of the Local Government Act 1972 were used in the preparation of this report. This report was written by Alan Freeman, who can be contacted on 01522 782070 or [email protected] Page 4 Appendix A County Matter Applications in hand as at 1 April 2011 S/0227/99 To use land to recycle inert waste to produce secondary aggregates and construct a new access at Copper Hill Quarry, High Dyke, Ancaster – Determined by Committee on 5 June 2000 and Withdrawn on 1 April 2011 N/0008/03 Change of use from vehicle/equipment storage to materials reclamation at Roe House, Boundary Lane, South Hykeham – Determined by Committee on 21 July 2003 (E)S176/1687/04 Use land as ancillary mining land and for the recycling of construction waste for aggregate at land to the north of No. 3 Plant Site, Tattershall Thorpe S/0973/04 Construct extension to existing concrete factory at Manor (Pit) Farm, Baston Outgang Road, Baston – Determined by Committee on 6 September 2004 S20/1702/04 Construct storage and bailing shed for recycled products at Mid UK Recycling Ltd, Station Road, Caythorpe – Determined by Committee on 18 April 2005 S/1725/04 Extract limestone (Clipsham Stone) from land adjacent to the permitted area of working for use as dimension/ building stone with the waste offcuts from the remote dressing facility being returned to the quarry for use in the restoration of the site at Holywell Quarry, Holywell Road, Careby S/1726/04 Continue to extract limestone (Clipsham stone) without complying with condition numbers 4 and 15 that were imposed on the mining site by virtue of the Council's decision notice dated 12 March 2002 under the Council's Reference Number S16/0067/02 at Holywell Quarry, Holywell Road, Careby N43/0188/08 To construct waste pre-treatment facility, including C&D waste and wood waste recycling at North Hykeham Landfill Site, Whisby Road, North Hykeham – Determined by Committee on 28 July 2008 N76/0606/08 To extract sand and gravel from part of Swinderby Airfield, involving the erection of processing, ready mix concrete, mortar and recycling plant and the siting of associated infrastructure, and the creation of a new access onto Camp Road, with restoration to wet woodland, reedbeds, conservation grassland and lakes suitable for nature Page 5 conservation and public recreation after-uses at Former Swinderby Airfield, Witham St Hughs – Determined by Committee on 6 June 2011 N47/0106/09 To construct a new facility for the production of precast concrete products with associated infrastructure on land that has been quarried and restored to grassland - to comprise: an industrial building; an external storage area served by gantry cranes; car parking; a further building incorporating offices and staff facilities and a waste water treatment plant at Norton Bottoms Quarry, Norton Disney – Determined by Committee on 18 January 2010 N43/0277/09 To continue to extract permitted sand and gravel reserves; to revise permitted pre-settlement and restoration contours to regularise tipping that has exceeded approved limits; to rationalise the phased restoration of the site; and to create additional void space capacity at Waste Recycling Group, North Hykeham Landfill Site, Whisby Road, North Hykeham – Determined by Committee on 1 November 2010 (E)S23/2184/10 To vary conditions 2 and 4 of planning permission E/1506/91 to amend the approved final levels of the surface of the landfill and to amend the landscaping details at Middlemarsh Landfill Site, Burgh le Marsh (E)S46/2193/10 Proposed anaerobic digestion plant at AEL Biogas Ltd, East Kirkby, Spilsby – Determined by Committee on 20 December 2010 H2/1061/10 To construct an energy production and recycling park comprising of: a waste reception hall, office, anaerobic digestion unit, in-vessel composting facility and workshop building; compost product storage, bagging and blending buildings; biomass chipping and pelletizaton building; biomass boiler and combined heat and power plant building; waste water treatment plant, surface water and leachate lagoons; concrete maturation pad and associated hardstanding; site security office, weighbridge, car parking and site landscaping works, and; change of use of existing farm buildings to a dry recyclables waste transfer facility at Decoy Farm, Postland Road, Crowland – Determined by Committee on 9 May 2011 and Decision issued 9 May 2011 S19/0619/10 To erect a building for the treatment of source segregated food waste by anaerobic digestion. This includes the building of a reception hall, 3 anaerobic digesters, 2 digestate storage tanks, gas holder and associated plant (pasteurisation tank, buffer tank, pumps and