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Planning applications in decline

21 Sep 18 A decline in planning applications lodged and permissions granted is not a good omen for the construction industry, but that is what happened in the second quarter of the year.

Between April and June 2018, district level planning authorities in England received 118,100 applications for planning permission, which was 4% fewer than in the corresponding quarter of 2017.

They granted 94,300 decisions, which was also down 4% on the same quarter in 2017, maintaining the approval rate at 88%.

The numbers come from the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government.

Of the planning permissions granted in the second quarter, 11,900 were residential applications (down 3%), and 2,200 were for commercial developments (down 10% on a year earlier).

The planning authorities received 10,100 applications for prior approval for permitted development rights, down 9% from the same quarter of 2017. Of these, 1,200 applications were for changes to residential use, of which 800 were given the go-ahead without having to go through the full planning process.

In the year ending June 2018, district level planning authorities granted 374,200 decisions, down 3% on the year ending June 2017. They granted 48,800 decisions on residential developments, of which 6,400 were for major developments and 42,400 were for minors (down 2% and 3% respectively) and granted 9,700 applications for commercial developments (down 11%).

The efficiency of the planning systems has also dipped, with 87% of major applications being decided within 13 weeks or the agreed time during the second quarter of 2018, compared to 88% in the second quarter of 2017.

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MPU
MPU

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