Ealing Council Rated as Top Planning Authority in London
Industry publication ranked councils by speed and quality of decisions
Quick approvals have helped accelerate housing starts in Ealing
August 22, 2024
Ealing Council has been ranked as the top planning authority in London and graded as having a ‘platinum’ decision-making service by an industry publication.
Planning Magazine’s analysis of 337 council across England made Ealing one of just 12 authorities to achieve the ‘platinum’ grade. Data on decision-making performance was analysed to identify the planning departments 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.
The council’s platinum rating means it performed on average between 33-35% above the national quality threshold.
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.
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.”
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