Planning Inspectorate

Housing minister Christopher Pincher has written to the Planning Inspectorate’s (PINS) chief executive Sarah Richards outlining new measures for appeals, including an expectation to reduce average times for decisions.

The Planning Inspectorate (PINS) has updated its Cover-19 guidance after Prime Minister Boris Johnson enacted the government’s ‘Plan B’ to stem the spread of the Omicron variant.

Statistics published by the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) show that it has more than 12,526 open cases – its highest number in the past 12 months.

A decision by the Planning Inspectorate to overturn a council’s refusal at appeal for plans to deliver 39 affordable homes on a long-vacant site in Crosby with no outdoor amenity space has been described as ‘dangerous and baffling’.