Planning permission sets the legal green light for your project and defines how long you have to wait before you can start building. In England, householder applications normally take up to eight weeks, while full applications can take up to thirteen weeks. These statutory windows begin when the local planning authority validates your application. Validation means the council has all the required documents, plans, and fees. If they spot missing information, they will delay validation until you supply the correct details, effectively pausing the clock. For outline permissions, where you seek approval in principle before design details, the timeline also follows the thirteen-week rule in most cases. Knowing how long planning permission takes helps you schedule contractors, secure finances, and avoid costly delays. Clear timelines also guide expectations when working with bodies such as the Croydon planning department or any other local authority in London and beyond.
The planning permission timeline hinges on application type and complexity. A simple householder extension normally aims for an eight-week decision, while larger or more complex schemes follow a thirteen-week target. National planning regulations set these limits to ensure councils decide within a clear period. However, if the authority needs extra information or if neighbours raise objections, it may extend the decision period by up to eight weeks in writing. Below is a table summarising the key timeframes:
Understanding these deadlines helps you track progress, plan your build schedule, and prepare for any necessary follow-up or appeals if the council misses its target.
Several factors shape the overall time it takes to secure planning permission. First, the complexity of the proposed development affects the review effort. Simple loft conversions often pass through swiftly, while multi-unit developments require more scrutiny. Second, the workload and resource levels of your local planning authority play a role. High volumes of applications or staff shortages can slow validation and consultation. Third, applications in sensitive locations, such as conservation areas or green belt land, must meet stricter policy tests and often need specialist reports. Finally, the quality and completeness of your submission at the outset can make a major difference: fully detailed plans and thorough supporting statements reduce back-and-forth, keeping your project on track.
Householder applications cover domestic alterations and extensions to a single dwelling. They benefit from a faster eight-week window, provided your scheme meets permitted development criteria or secures standard householder consent. Full applications apply to new builds, changes of use, or major works; they follow the thirteen-week target and require full design details. Outline applications seek approval in principle, leaving design specifics, reserved matters, for a later stage; these also use the thirteen-week process for each submission. Choosing the correct application type is vital. For example, if you only need basic approval in principle for site viability, outline permission avoids submitting full plans prematurely. Conversely, submitting a full application when you already have detailed drawings can speed final consent, eliminating a second reserved matters stage.
The more complex your development, the longer the council review takes. Multi-unit housing schemes, commercial conversions, or projects in historic areas require impact assessments, covering transport, heritage, or ecology, that extend the consultation period. If you propose innovative construction methods or materials outside standard practice, officers may seek specialist advice or peer review. Every additional report adds time. For instance, a development proposing a new access point on a busy road may need a highways report, which itself can take several weeks to prepare. Understanding complexity factors upfront lets you build realistic timelines and secure specialist consultants early, avoiding delays once the application is live.
Developments in conservation areas, on listed buildings, or within green belt land trigger stricter policy tests. Local plans often include detailed design guides for these locations, requiring applicants to demonstrate exceptional design quality or very special circumstances. For listed buildings, you need a consent application in addition to standard planning permission, adding another layer of review. Green belt proposals demand proof of very special circumstances to outweigh harm to openness. These policy hurdles usually involve multiple consultees, heritage officers, design panels, and environmental specialists, each adding to the statutory timeline. If your project lies in any of these sensitive areas, expect negotiations and potential design amendments, lengthening the overall process beyond the standard eight or thirteen weeks.
Each council has a finite staff and budget. Authorities facing high caseloads can take longer to validate and consult on applications. For example, boroughs in Greater London often see surges in applications during housing booms, stretching officer capacity. Winter budgets may limit temporary staff, slowing turnaround. Conversely, smaller authorities may respond faster if volumes are low. Councils sometimes publish key performance indicators showing the percentage of applications decided within the target, giving you insight into likely timings. Checking a council’s performance report or speaking to planning officers directly helps set realistic expectations. If your local authority struggles to meet targets, consider pre-application meetings to resolve issues early, indirectly speeding up the formal application.
Securing planning permission follows a clear sequence of steps. First, you seek pre-application planning advice to identify policy issues and required documents. Next, you submit the planning application online, uploading detailed drawings and reports through the Planning Portal. The council then validates your submission, checking completeness and fee payment. Once validated, the consultation period begins: neighbours and statutory consultees (highways, environment, heritage) review your proposal and comment. The planning officer assesses all feedback against policy, seeks amendments if needed, and makes a recommendation. Finally, the committee or delegated officer issues a decision notice, granting, refusing, or granting with conditions. Understanding each step ensures you prepare thoroughly, avoid surprises, and can follow up promptly when councils request additional information.
Pre-application advice is an optional early-stage service that lets you discuss proposals with planning officers before formal submission. Most councils aim to provide written feedback within four to six weeks, though times vary by authority. Using this service helps identify potential policy conflicts, necessary reports, and likely objections. Although it carries a separate fee, pre-application advice can save time later by resolving design concerns in advance. For example, if you plan a rear extension in Croydon, the council can confirm which permitted development rights apply and highlight design features that may trigger objections from conservation officers. In many cases, incorporating officer feedback at this stage means your formal application passes validation and consultation more smoothly, reducing the risk of delays once you enter the eight- or thirteen-week window.
Submitting your planning application begins when you complete the online form on the Planning Portal. You must upload site location plans, existing and proposed drawings, design and access statements, and any supporting reports such as flood risk assessments or tree surveys. You also pay the required fee, ranging from roughly £206 for simple householder applications up to several thousand pounds for major developments. Once submitted, the portal issues a reference number and forwards your application to the local planning authority. Accuracy at this stage is crucial: missing or low-quality drawings lead to validation delays. Many architects, including our team at Draw Architecture, prepare and check all documentation to ensure a smooth submission, helping you avoid time lost to back-and-forth with council officers over incomplete files.
After submission, the council assesses whether your application is valid. Validation officers check that you’ve provided all required documents, paid the correct fee, and meet technical standards for drawings and reports. This stage typically takes ten working days but can vary. If the application is invalid, the officer issues a validation notice listing omissions you must address. During this pause, the statutory eight- or thirteen-week clock does not start. Once you supply the missing information, the clock begins on the next working day after validation. Vigilance here is key: many applicants lose weeks waiting for validation. At Draw Architecture, we pre-audit all submissions against local validation checklists to ensure immediate acceptance and avoid any unplanned delays in your planning timeline.
Upon validation, your application enters the consultation phase. Neighbours within a set radius receive notification letters and have a minimum of 21 days to comment. Statutory consultees, such as highways, environment, and heritage bodies, usually have between 21 and 28 days to respond, depending on local policy. Councils gather all feedback and publish comments on their planning portal. If serious objections arise, officers may negotiate design tweaks and seek additional information, which can extend the decision window if agreed in writing. For example, if a neighbour’s group objects to building height, the council may request revised elevations, pausing the clock. Staying proactive, monitoring the portal and addressing concerns swiftly helps keep your application moving toward a timely decision.
At the end of the consultation and assessment period, the planning officer prepares a report recommending approval, conditional approval, or refusal. In many cases, delegated officers have the authority to issue the decision without a committee hearing, speeding the process. If the proposal is contentious or raises significant policy issues, it may go to a planning committee, adding another four to six weeks before a final outcome. Once the decision is made, the council issues a decision notice, usually via email and on the portal. This notice sets out any conditions you must meet before starting work and explains rights to appeal if your application is refused. With an approval in hand, you can apply for building regulations and begin construction, confident you have legal permission to proceed.
Planning permission delays often stem from predictable issues that can add weeks, or even months, to your planning permission timeline UK. First, missing or incomplete information in your application forces validation officers to pause and request corrected documents. Second, objections from neighbours or statutory consultees (highways, environment, heritage) trigger extended consultation and may require you to negotiate design changes. Third, local planning authority workload and lack of resources can slow down both validation and decision stages, with some councils taking longer than the standard eight or thirteen weeks. Finally, requests for amendments or side negotiations, such as adjustments to landscaping or materials, add further back-and-forth. To illustrate, a recent project in Croydon faced a six-week delay after neighbours objected to roof height, prompting revised drawings and fresh consultations. Understanding these delay drivers helps you prepare stronger applications from the outset, reducing the risk of chasing information or extended reviews, and keeping your project on track.
You can accelerate your planning permission process by tackling common delay factors head-on and leveraging best practices. Key steps include:
For example, a South East London homeowner reduced their timeline from twelve to seven weeks by commissioning a pre-app report and submitting a fully compliant design package. Proactive steps like these can transform the planning permission decision time from a potential delay into a streamlined process.
Once your application is validated, the clock starts on the statutory decision period, eight weeks for householder and thirteen weeks for full or outline applications. During this time, the council collates comments, conducts site visits, and reviews technical reports. You should expect an initial acknowledgment within five working days, but the actual decision notice may arrive only on the final day of the deadline. Delays occur when officers need extra time to resolve objections or negotiate minor amendments. In some cases, councils issue a written extension notice, adding up to eight weeks, if they need further information or wish to consult additional parties. To track progress, regularly check the council’s planning portal or request updates from your case officer. Understanding what happens between submission and decision notice issuance helps you plan contractor appointments and financing with confidence, knowing exactly how long it takes to get planning permission.
A refusal can feel like a major setback, but it is also an opportunity to refine your proposal. Councils must provide clear reasons for rejection, citing specific policy conflicts or technical shortcomings. Upon refusal, you have two main options: revise and resubmit or appeal. Revising involves addressing the refusal reasons, perhaps reducing height, improving access, or adding landscaping, and then lodging a fresh application. This new submission resets the statutory timeline, but often benefits from the insights gained during the first review. Alternatively, you can appeal to the Planning Inspectorate within six months of refusal. Appeals normally take six to nine months for a decision, but allow you to challenge policy interpretation or technical concerns. Some applicants combine both routes, submitting a revised application while preparing an appeal in parallel. Understanding these pathways ensures you choose the most efficient route to secure consent and avoid prolonged uncertainty in your build schedule.
