Planning Performance Agreements: A Boost Amid Timeliness Challenges

Today’s planning application statistics highlight a pressing concern: only 20% of major applications were decided within statutory timelines over the past six months. Despite this, performance agreements have emerged as a powerful tool, with 92% of applications accompanied by these agreements decided on time.

Planning Performance Agreements (PPAs) are collaborative frameworks between applicants and planning authorities that set clear timelines and expectations for decision-making. They offer numerous benefits, including:

• Certainty: Applicants gain a clear understanding of when decisions will be made, reducing uncertainty for project timelines.

  
  

• Enhanced Collaboration: Regular engagement ensures better alignment between stakeholders, minimising delays caused by misunderstandings or incomplete submissions.

  
  

• Resource Allocation: Authorities can better prioritise applications, streamlining workloads for complex projects.

  
  

• Improved Quality: With defined milestones, PPAs encourage thorough preparation and review, leading to higher-quality outcomes.

  
  

While overall timeliness remains a challenge, the success of PPAs demonstrates their value in navigating the complexities of major applications. By fostering proactive engagement and structured processes, the data shows that they pave the way for more efficient and predictable planning decisions.

The data shows that PPA's significantly improve the timeliness of planning decisions on major applications