Current workloads - information for applicants - updated 9 January 2023

We are sorry for delays you may be experiencing in our processing of your application. We currently have a backlog of applications built up over the last couple of years most notably. We are making some progress, but your application is unlikely to be allocated to an officer for a number of weeks (at the start of January 2023 applications were being allocated at week 12) and workloads remain challenging.  In the meantime, you can track the progress of the application and see any documents we receive on our website: www.teignbridge.gov.uk/planningonline

In some cases we will be able to determine an application more quickly if a site visit is not required, so we also encourage you to supply a comprehensive set of current photographs of the site.

The average time taken to determine an application for cases determined recently has been around 22 weeks (or around a further 10 weeks from allocation). 

We are aware that the government expects non-major applications to be determined within 8 weeks, and apologise that we are currently unable to meet this requirement.  If the target date has passed and we have not agreed an extension of time with you in writing, you are able to lodge a ‘non-determination’ appeal with the Planning Inspectorate.  Please be aware, however, that once an appeal has been lodged, the Planning Inspectorate will become the determining body and the LPA will no longer able to determine your application.  You can check how long appeals are taking at the present time at the following link: Appeals: how long they take - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

In September 2022 the Planning Inspectorate were taking 18 weeks from validation to determine Householder appeals, and, with other types of appeal taking 29-40 weeks.

Update from Planning Inspectorate December 2022 - Over 1,800 appeal cases in November. Although this is higher than most months, they are still generally receiving more appeals than they can currently decide. The median time taken to decide written representations in November was 31 weeks.  In October the figure was 28 weeks, the same as in September. In August, the figure was 27 weeks.

Once the application has been allocated the case officer will make contact with the agent for the application (or the applicant in the absence of an agent) and will give an estimate of when they may be able to make a recommendation on the application and to ask you to agree a revised target for determination.  It will be difficult to estimate how long each application will take to determine until it has been fully reviewed by a case officer.