Planning decision making on the Isle of Wight has been hailed as very good.
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.
Below national threshold for intervention
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.
8 out of 65 appeals 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 eight were overturned.
Down from previous year
It is an appeal allowance rate of 14 per cent, down from 25 per cent the year before.
Almost all the appeals looked at by the Planning Inspectorate — 64 out of 65 — were originally determined by council officers.
Committee decision upheld
The other — a housing scheme in Apse Heath — was determined by the planning committee when councillors went against officers’ recommendation. 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.
Enforcement notices upheld
Five 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 two refusals of lawful development certificates and one prior approval change from commercial to residential properties but were unsuccessful.
Costs appeal quashed at judicial review
One costs appeal was lodged and did mean the authority would have had to partially pay out, 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.
Success for IWC
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.
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is taking part in. Some alterations and additions may have been made by OnTheWight. Ed
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