North Ayrshire Council’s planning team has been praised as one of the quickest and most efficient in Scotland.
A planning performance framework (PPF) report shows the local authority has one of the best planning services in the country when it comes to processing and making decisions on planning applications.
The PPF showed the council’s planning team has reduced average timescales for determining householder applications from 4.7 weeks to 4.3 weeks, well within the statutory timescale of eight weeks.
Timescales for non-householder applications remained at 5.9 weeks while major planning applications are dealt with in 10.2 weeks on average, lower than the Scottish average.
Councillor Tom Marshall, chair of North Ayrshire Council’s planning committee, said: “Our planning team deserves huge praise for consistently providing a service which is sector-leading in Scotland.
“This isn’t just a one-off. Year after year the results show that they provide an efficient, effective and innovative service which compares favourably with anywhere else.
“While the planning process can be sometimes be complex, the team continue to make great strides in offering a professional service which works for both ordinary householders who wish to make changes to their home and large companies who have submitted proposals for major developments.”
The PPF report also praises the planning team for helping to stimulate a sluggish housing market and for the 2019 RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence.
The planning team will play a key role in delivering the Ayrshire Growth Deal, which was signed earlier this year.
This is a multi-million pound investment aimed at transforming the Ayrshire economy, boosting job creation and encouraging further inward investment.
