A recently published statistical report from the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) contains an interesting table showing how many appeals each inspector determined in 2012/13, and for each inspector, the proportion of these appeals which were allowed or dismissed.
We’ve crunched the numbers to produce tables showing the 10 busiest inspectors in 2012/13, the 10 inspectors which allowed the most planning appeals in 2012/13, and the 10 inspectors which dismissed the most planning appeals in the same financial year (see tables below). According to PINS, the overall success rate for planning appeals in 2012/13 following the written representation procedure was 33 per cent, while for hearings it stood at 43 per cent. For appeals following the inquiry procedure the success rate was 62 per cent. But our analysis of the PINS’ figures show that rates of approval and dismissal vary considerably by inspector.
The 10 busiest inspectors in 2012/13*
| Inspector | No of appeals decided |
|---|---|
| Simon Miles | 95 |
| David Fitzsimon | 92 |
| Gary Deane | 86 |
| Gerald Hollington | 79 |
| John Millard | 77 |
| Simon Warder | 76 |
| Christopher Gethin | 76 |
| David Prentis | 74 |
| Tim Wood | 72 |
| William Fieldhouse | 71 |
* The table has been compiled using PINS data showing the percentage of section 78 planning appeals allowed and dismissed by inspectors in 2012/13.
The 10 inspectors who allowed the most appeals in 2012/13*
| Inspector | No of appeals decided | % of appeals allowed |
|---|---|---|
| David Pinner | 14 | 71% |
| Graham Snowdon | 32 | 66% |
| Jean Russell | 11 | 64% |
| Wendy Burden | 19 | 63% |
| Elaine Benson | 45 | 62% |
| Nigel Harrison | 40 | 62% |
| George Baird | 26 | 62% |
| Roger Clews | 21 | 62% |
| Julie German | 13 | 62% |
| David Leeming | 44 | 59% |
* Inspectors had to have decided more than 10 appeals to feature in our table. The table has been compiled using PINS data showing the percentage of section 78 planning appeals allowed and dismissed by inspectors in 2012/13.
The 10 inspectors who dismissed the most appeals in 2012/13*
| Inspector | No of appeals decided | % of appeals dismissed |
|---|---|---|
| Nicola Linihan | 40 | 95% |
| Roisin Barrett | 69 | 94% |
| Nigel Burrows | 24 | 92% |
| Trevor Cookson | 12 | 92% |
| Richard Hollox | 22 | 91% |
| Wendy McKay | 11 | 91% |
| Sukie Tamplin | 35 | 89% |
| Gyllian Grindey | 18 | 89% |
| Mark Dakeyne | 17 | 88% |
| Norma Farish | 23 | 87% |
* Inspectors had to have decided more than 10 appeals to feature in our table. The table has been compiled using PINS data showing the percentage of section 78 planning appeals allowed and dismissed by inspectors in 2012/13.
The full data can be viewed here. The Planning Inspectorate says that the figures should not be treated as any sort of league table and that it will not entertain a challenge to the appointment of any inspector on the basis of the data. According to PINS, all cases are considered on their individual merit, and on the basis of evidence submitted. It says that targets are not set for the percentage of allowed and dismissed cases, inspectors do not select their own case work and will work on a variety of case types. PINS says that casework is allocated to inspectors on the best balance of availability, geography, casework level and expertise. It says that this may produce apparent patterns of outcome that are in fact artefacts of the way work is allocated and do not provide evidence as to an inspector’s fitness for or approach to a particular case.