<b><b> The latest study of regional planning applications finds McCarthy &amp;&amp; Stone on the rise and the new and bigger Persimmon leading the way in several regions. </b><b>Steve Menary</b><b> reports.</b></b><br><b><b></b>McCarthy &amp;&amp; Stone, the retirement home specialist, has come out fighting on the planning front according to the latest survey of &amp;"who's building where&amp;" from Emap Glenigan, the planning and construction information specialist. </b><br><b><b>Moving up</b></b><br> The firm has stepped up its programme of planning submissions to edge into the top 10 in three regions of the study, which is carried out exclusively for <i>HouseBuilder</i>. <p></p><p>The research ranks housebuilders by the number of units included in detailed planning applications over the past year and the latest study covers the 12 months ending June 30 2001. </p><p>In the last survey, McCarthy &amp;&amp; Stone made the top 10 in just one region - London. This time, the Bournemouth-based group has slipped to eleventh spot in London but has made the top 10 in three other regions: the North West, Yorkshire and the North. </p><p>In April, McCarthy &amp;&amp; Stone's chief executive Keith Lovelock, on unveiling a dip in interim profits, hit out at &amp;"extremely frustrating&amp;" planning delays that, he estimated, were pushing up the cost …