To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations she has received on the time taken to receive planning approval by (a) manufacturers who wish to extend current factory premises or open a new manufacturing site and (b) mineral operators who wish to extend a currently active quarrying operation; and if she will make a statement. (144449)

The Secretary of State receives representations on a large number of topics, including planning procedure. Complaint about delay—whether caused by poor performance by local authorities, procedure or poor quality applications—was one of the reasons we undertook a major overhaul of the planning system. More recently, the Planning White Paper reports that our reforms have already brought substantial improvements in the performance of local planning authorities in deciding applications within target time scales.

The White Paper sets out further measures which will improve the handling of planning applications. Planning performance agreements will enable planning authority and developer to agree in advance a timetable and the requirements for achievement of each phase of processing a major application, avoiding unnecessary delay.