Statutory timescales by application type
Local planning authorities are required to determine planning applications within set timescales. These are measured from the date the application is formally validated (not the submission date).
| Application type | Statutory target | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Householder (extensions, loft conversions, outbuildings) | 8 weeks | Most common type. Accounts for ~50% of all applications. |
| Minor development (up to 9 dwellings, <1,000m² commercial) | 8 weeks | |
| Major development (10+ dwellings, 1,000m²+ commercial) | 13 weeks | 16 weeks if Environmental Impact Assessment required. |
| Listed building consent | 8 weeks | Often runs in parallel with a full planning application. |
| Prior approval notifications | 28 or 56 days | 28 days for most PD classes; 56 days for Class Q (agricultural conversion) and some commercial conversions. |
| Lawful Development Certificate | 8 weeks | Confirms whether works are lawful. No discretion — must be granted if criteria met. |
| Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) applications | 16 weeks | Typically applies to large infrastructure, energy projects, and some major developments. |
Why most applications take longer than the statutory target
Statutory targets are aspirational benchmarks, not guarantees. LPA performance against the 8-week target varies enormously. Some high-performing councils decide over 80% of applications within 8 weeks; others routinely exceed 16 weeks for routine householder applications.
Common causes of delay:
- Validation delays: The clock doesn't start until the application is formally validated. An application can sit as "received" for weeks if documents are missing or the fee is wrong.
- Consultation responses: Applications near listed buildings, in flood zones, or on land with ecology interests require statutory consultee responses from Historic England, the Environment Agency, or Natural England. These bodies have their own timescales.
- Planning committee: Contentious applications are referred to planning committee rather than delegated to an officer. Committees typically meet monthly, which can add 4–6 weeks.
- Extensions of time: Applicants often agree to an Extension of Time (EoT) with the LPA rather than forcing a decision. This is common on complex applications and resets the appeal clock.
- Resource constraints: Many LPAs are understaffed. Applications can wait months for a case officer to be assigned.
What "pending" actually means week-by-week
A typical householder application timeline:
- Week 0–1: Application submitted, payment taken. Status: "Application Received"
- Week 1–2: Documents checked, application validated. Status: "Pending Consideration" — the 8-week clock starts here.
- Week 2–4: Public consultation period (21 days minimum). Neighbour notification letters sent, site notice posted. Comments may arrive.
- Week 4–7: Case officer assessment. Site visit may occur. Consultee responses reviewed.
- Week 7–8: Decision issued (if straightforward). Status changes to "Approved" or "Refused".
For applications going to committee, add 4–8 weeks to the above. For listed building consent running in parallel, both decisions typically arrive at the same time.
Tracking an application in real time via API
The simplest way to track a specific application is to poll PlanWire for status changes. Once you have an application reference or ID, you can query it directly:
# By application reference curl "https://api.planwire.io/v1/applications\ ?reference=2026%2F0234%2FP&council_id=camden" \ -H "X-API-Key: your_api_key" # By PlanWire application ID curl "https://api.planwire.io/v1/applications/f3a2b1c0-1234-..." \ -H "X-API-Key: your_api_key"
Get notified the moment a decision is issued
Rather than polling, you can use PlanWire's alert feature to get notified the moment an application's status changes. This is especially useful if you're waiting on a specific application — for a client, a competitor's site, or a property you're considering.
Set up a webhook or email alert filtered to the specific application reference and council. You'll receive a notification within minutes of the council publishing the decision.
curl -X POST "https://api.planwire.io/v1/webhooks" \
-H "X-API-Key: your_api_key" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"url": "https://your-server.com/webhook/planning",
"filters": {
"council_id": "camden",
"reference": "2026/0234/P",
"status": ["Approved", "Refused", "Withdrawn"]
}
}'If the 8-week deadline passes with no decision
Once the statutory determination period has passed without a decision (and without an agreed Extension of Time), the applicant has the right to appeal for non-determination to the Planning Inspectorate. This is known as an appeal against failure to determine.
In practice, most applicants and agents prefer to wait rather than appeal, as an appeal creates adversarial dynamics. But tracking the validation date against the current date lets you flag applications that are overdue — useful if you're managing planning on behalf of clients.
Performance varies hugely by council
The fastest councils consistently determine householder applications in 6–7 weeks. The slowest routinely exceed 16 weeks. If you're building on planning data, it's worth understanding which councils in your area are slow — applications from them will sit in "Pending" for longer and you should adjust your alerts or monitoring accordingly.
You can calculate average decision times for any council using PlanWire: pull all applications for a council with both a received_date and a decision_date, and compute the median gap.