Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what proportion of planning applications which are contrary to an adopted neighbourhood plan and that have gone to an inspector's decision are decided in favour of that plan.

We do not hold the information requested.

An adopted neighbourhood plan is part of the Development Plan for an area. Statute requires that planning applications are determined in accordance with the Development Plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise. Such material considerations can be wide-ranging though must be related to planning. Where a proposal is judged to be contrary to the Development Plan, the decision maker (Inspector) must then apply judgment to the weight that those considerations should attract in deciding whether to approve permission. S/he may grant permission if s/he judges the considerations to outweigh the conflict with the Development Plan policy.