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Planning Inspectorate: Standards

Asked by Cameron ThomasIndependentMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled Answered 24 February 2026UIN 112059

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to tackle the Planning Inspectorate’s backlog of cases awaiting a site visit.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook

The government is committed to the efficient handling of planning casework, including ensuring that there is sufficient resourcing in the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) to support such activity.

In 2025/26, funding increased for PINS’s Resource Delivery budget (to £97.9 million) and their Capital Budget (to £15 million).

PINS’s Strategic Plan commits to eliminating all casework backlogs by 2027.

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