FI16393

Request

Please provide the following information for each of the financial years (a) 2022/23, (b) 2023/24, and (c) 2024/25:

  1. The total number of appeals lodged against decisions relating to residential-led planning applications, and the total number of residential units involved in these appeals.
  2. The number of appeals that resulted in planning permission being granted, and the total number of residential units approved as a result of such appeals.
  3. The total amount of money spent by the council on legal advice, representation, and any other costs incurred in defending planning appeals.
  4. The total amount paid by the council to appellants in respect of costs awarded against the authority in planning appeal cases.
  5. Of the total expenditure identified in (3), please specify how much related to appeals that were subsequently allowed (i.e. where permission was granted on appeal).
  6. The number of appeals that were made against an officer recommendation for approval?

Response

  1. The Council does not record appeals by development type.  Appeals can be found by using the advanced search on the planning portal at: https://publicaccess.dover.gov.uk/online-applications/search.do?action=advanced.
  2. The Council does not record this information. Appeals can be found by using the advanced search on the planning portal at: https://publicaccess.dover.gov.uk/online-applications/search.do?action=advanced.
  3. I can confirm that the Council may hold information falling within the description specified in your request, however it is not readily available and from our preliminary assessment, we have estimated that the cost of complying with your request would exceed the ‘appropriate limit’.  The appropriate limit has been specified in regulations and for Local Government it is set at £450. This represents the estimated cost of one person spending 2½ working days in determining whether the information is held, locating, retrieving and extracting the data as a separate review of each appeal case would need to be undertaken. I regret therefore, that on this occasion I must refuse this part of your request in accordance with Section 12(1) of the Freedom of Information Act.
  4. Zero.
  5. I can confirm that the Council may hold information falling within the description specified in your request, however it is not readily available and from our preliminary assessment, we have estimated that the cost of complying with your request would exceed the ‘appropriate limit’.  The appropriate limit has been specified in regulations and for Local Government it is set at £450. This represents the estimated cost of one person spending 2½ working days in determining whether the information is held, locating, retrieving and extracting the data as a separate review of each appeal case would need to be undertaken. I regret therefore, that on this occasion I must refuse this part of your request in accordance with Section 12(1) of the Freedom of Information Act.
  6. The Council does not record this information. Appeals can be found by using the advanced search on the planning portal at: https://publicaccess.dover.gov.uk/online-applications/search.do?action=advanced.