Ealing Council has been ranked within the top 12 planning authorities in the country and provides a ‘platinum’ decision-making service, according to a top industry publication.
Planning magazine used national data to grade all 337 English authorities on their decision-making performance, highlighting the councils with the best track records for delivering prompt, sound verdicts.
The rankings are determined by 2 key factors: how quickly the council processes planning applications; and the quality of those decisions – in particular, how often they are upheld when challenged on appeal.
Performance on speed is measured by how many applications a council decides within the legal time limits over a 2-year period, while performance on decision quality is judged by how often the council’s decisions are overturned on appeal. Councils have specific targets to meet for both of these measures.
Top performing London borough
The council’s platinum rating means it performed on average between 33-35% above the national quality threshold, meaning it was rated as the top London borough and placing it among the top performers in the country.
In addition to the 12 councils that earned platinum status, Planning magazine identified 40 other councils that received ‘gold’ or ‘silver’ ratings for their strong performance in decision-making. The ranking places each authority into one of 6 performance bands, ranging from platinum for the best, to ‘failing’ for the worst.
‘A first-rate planning service’
Councillor Shital Manro, the council’s cabinet member for good growth and new homes, said: “This platinum rating reflects our success in delivering timely decisions that support sustainable growth throughout our borough. We are committed to ensuring that the right developments happen here, in the right places, at the right times, and our planning service is at the heart of making that ambition a reality. The efficient and often unheralded work our first-rate planners do is helping to delivering new homes and jobs in a way which is sympathetic to our existing neighbourhoods.”
