Latest statistics, released by the Isle of Wight Council, show the planning authority’s decision makers are performing well at appeals — being at or above the national averages.
The authority is also well below the national threshold for any government intervention.
If the local authority rejects planning permission or other planning matters, in most cases there is a right to appeal. The decision will then be reviewed by Planning Inspectorate, or even the Secretary of State, to decide if it should be upheld, reviewed or overturned.
Over the course of the 2021/22 financial year, 62 appeals were lodged against the Isle of Wight Council’s planning decisions. The Planning Inspectorate also determined 65 appeals against the council — the majority relating to applications where planning permission was refused — but only 8 were overturned.
It is an appeal allowance rate of 14%, down from 25% the year before.
Almost all the appeals looked at by the Planning Inspectorate — 64 out of 65 — were originally determined by council officers. The other — a housing scheme in Apse Heath — was determined by the planning committee when councillors went against officers’ recommendations. Councillors’ decision to do so, however, was upheld by the inspectorate.
A report which went to the council’s planning committee earlier this week said the statistics show that the quality of the council’s decision making is of a very good standard for non-major development.
5 enforcement notices were appealed to the Inspectorate but all were upheld, with minor variations. The council report says some were due to additional time required to comply with the notice but the changes did not undermine the requirements of the notice.
People also appealed 2 refusals of lawful development certificates and 1 prior approval change from commercial to residential properties but were unsuccessful.
1 appeal for costs was lodged and did mean the authority would have had to partially payout, but a council spokesperson said it was due to an error made by the Planning Inspectorate. The appeal was quashed at a judicial review, though, so instead of the Isle of Wight Council footing the bill, the Planning Inspectorate has paid instead.
The Isle of Wight Council has had a successful costs application made against an appeal in Newchurch. It is currently identifying the expenses that occurred and is in discussions with the appellant over how much it will be paid.
bigger brown envolopes needed
Who has praised them, which the headline claims?
A report was mentioned but no details (is it an internal report?)
And what were the comments on major developments?
Praised by who? Themselves and developers, sorry, I didn’t read the article, couldn’t manage it through fits of ironic hysterics.
This should have been done by the public not in house with all the corruption flying about. This is not a true appraisal its just another sod the public we will just B.S as all ways
What’s this, a late April fools gag.
Of course the Planning Department will be praised by the Council. A goodly percentage of ‘appeals’ for contraventions are filed by Councillors. They are hardly going to criticise something that they use to their advantage are they?
For once I am lost for words. What a farce. Hey Council if I say something nice about you can I have a brown envelope please, I hear the going rate is about a grand !!
Very misleading headline, literally a reflection of appeal results only which are such a small part of the story. This makes no allowance for questionable decisions made in favour of applicants (of which there have been many) and nor does it mention the incredible delays being experienced on even the most straightforward of applications. I recently waited 5 months for a minor household approval that should have been decided in a matter of weeks.
The fact that a report was sent to the Committee praising the department’s performance shows how blinkered they really must be.
It would appear to me and I have to say I agree, that the the general consensus is that the iw planning committee are a bunch of twerps