Planning Statistics
Part of the Heritage Counts series. 5 minute read.
The planning system controls many changes to the historic environment.
The 'Planning Statistics' theme brings together key local and regional statistics about the planning system's performance, including time-series figures for listed building consents, consents affecting registered parks and gardens, and scheduled monument consents.
Listed building consent
In general terms, listed building consent is required for all works of demolition, alteration or extension to a listed building that affects its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest. An application for listed building consent is made to, and determined by, the local planning authority.
Where the works have an impact on the external appearance of the building, planning permission may also be required and, if so, should be applied for at the same time. The local planning authority must consult Historic England and the National Amenity Societies on certain listed building consent applications.
- In 2022/23, approximately 26,000 Listed Building Consent (LBC) decisions were made for alterations/extensions
- The number of LBC decisions (alteration/extension) has been declining over time. There were 15% fewer decisions in 2022/23 than in 2000/01
- The vast majority of LBC decisions (alteration/extension) are granted. In 2022/23, 93% of all LBC decisions were granted. This compares with 88% of all planning permissions. In general, planning statistics show that the proportion of LBCs granted has exceeded the proportion of planning permissions granted each year since 2000/01
- On the other hand, the number of LBC decisions made in time (for more details, see the section on time periods below) has consistently lagged behind all planning decisions. In 2022/23, 71% of LBC decisions were made on time compared to 81% of planning decisions. This trend has ensued since 2000/01. However, the gap between the performance of LBC decision-making and all other planning decisions has widened in more recent years. Historic England's survey of Listed Building Owners and Occupiers indicates that these delays are having negative impacts on owners and occupiers
What are the time periods for determining a planning application?
Once a planning application has been validated, the local planning authority should decide on the proposal as quickly as possible and, in any event, within the statutory time limit unless a longer period is agreed upon in writing with the applicant.
The statutory time limits for applications for planning permission are set out in Article 34 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure (England) Order 2015 (as amended). They are 13 weeks for applications for major development, 10 weeks for applications for technical details consent, and (from 1 August 2021) applications for public service infrastructure development, and 8 weeks for all other types of development (unless an application is subject to an Environmental Impact Assessment, in which case a 16-week limit applies).
Where a planning application takes longer than the statutory period to decide, and an extended period has not been agreed with the applicant, the government’s policy is that the decision should be made within 26 weeks at most to comply with the 'planning guarantee'.
Figure PLA 8.1a – Listed Building Consents (LBCs), planning permissions granted, and percentage of prompt decisions made, 2022/23
Source: DLUHC
Figure PLA 8.1b – Listed Building Consents granted in England, 2000/1 to 2022/23
Source: DLUHC
PLA 8.1c - LBCs, planning permissions granted, and prompt decisions made in England (%), 2000/1 to 2022/23
Figure note: Click the legend to filter through categories
Source: DLUHC
Regional planning figures
- Trends in LBC decisions vary at regional level, with LBC decisions (alteration/extension) growing above the 2000/01 baseline in London and the North East. Meanwhile, they are declining in all other regions by up to 23% in the North West
- In 2022/23, 19% of all national LBC decisions were taken amongst Local Authorities in the South West and a further 19% by South East region authorities
- The West Midlands, London and the North West had the lowest levels of LBC decisions made in time (66% respectively); the East Midlands, on the other hand, had the highest levels of LBC decisions made in time (76%). This is nevertheless below the national average for all planning decisions made in time (81%)
Figure PLA 8.2 – Listed building consent decisions by region (% of total), 2022/23
Figure note: Click the legend to filter.
Source: DLUHC
Figure PLA 8.3 – Regional Listed Building Consent decisions (% change), 2000/01 to 2022/23
Source: DLUHC
Figure PLA 8.4a – Timeliness of Listed Building Consents granted, 2022/23.
Source: DLUHC
PLA 8.4b – LBCs granted and decisions made on time by region (England), National Parks and the ENGLAND average (%), 2022/23
Click on an item in the legend to filter.
Source: DLUHC
Scheduled Monument Consent
Scheduled Monument Consent (SMC) is required for alterations to any scheduled monument.
- In 2022/23, there were 1,036 SMC decisions, a 19% increase since the baseline was established in 2002/03
- In total, 2 regions reported fewer SMCs in 2022/23 than in 2002/03: the West Midlands (-1.8%) and the South West (-13%)
Figure PLA 8.5a – Regional Scheduled Monument Consents change (%), 2022/23 to 2002/03
Source: DCMS
Figure PLA 8.5b – Scheduled Monument Consents by region, 2022/23
Figure note: Click an item in the legend to filter.
Source: DCMS
Planning applications for registered parks and gardens
All planning applications affecting registered parks and gardens must be sent to the Gardens Trust.
- In 2022/23, there were 1,221 planning applications affecting registered parks and gardens, a 14.7% decrease on the previous year and a 62.6% increase since 2003/04
Figure PLA 8.6a – Regional Planning Applications for registered parks and gardens in 2022/23, and percentage change compared to 2003/04
Source: The Gardens Trust
Figure PLA 8.6b – Regional Planning Applications for registered parks and gardens granted, 2022/23
Figure note: Click a range on the legend to filter.
Source: The Gardens Trust
Dataset
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Planning Statistics
ODS spreadsheet of the raw data.
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