Planning Application Under Inter-Municipal Cooperation in England, 2001-2024

Wang, Han and Elston, Thomas (2026). Planning Application Under Inter-Municipal Cooperation in England, 2001-2024. [Data Collection]. Colchester, Essex: UK Data Service. 10.5255/UKDA-SN-858317

This project examines whether inter-municipal cooperation (IMC) can help reduce planning delays and increase housing delivery in England. Over the past decade, local planning authorities have faced growing capacity constraints due to austerity, staff shortages, and rising development pressures, leading to significant delays in planning decisions and uneven outcomes across regions. In response, some councils have adopted shared planning services. However, robust evidence on whether these institutional reforms actually improve performance remains limited.

Using detailed, geocoded planning application data, this project evaluates the causal impact of inter-municipal cooperation. It applies a spatial regression discontinuity design to compare planning outcomes on either side of administrative boundaries, where applications are subject to different institutional arrangements but similar local conditions. The analysis focuses on key outcomes such as decision timeliness and decision quality.

Data description (abstract)

This dataset contains micro-level planning application records for local planning authorities (LPAs) in England covering the period 2001–2024. The data have been compiled to support the evaluation of inter-municipal cooperation (IMC) in local planning services and its effects on planning performance.

The dataset includes all planning applications submitted to LPAs that adopted shared planning services, as well as applications from neighbouring LPAs that did not participate in IMC arrangements, allowing for comparative and quasi-experimental analysis. For each planning application, the dataset records key administrative and procedural information, including application category, development scale, submission date, validation date, decision date, statutory target decision date, and indicators of delay, refusal, and appeal.

In addition, the dataset contains detailed information on institutional treatment status, identifying whether and when each local planning authority entered an inter-municipal cooperation arrangement.

Data creators: