Most householder planning applications have an eight-week statutory decision period once valid; major development generally has thirteen weeks and Environmental Impact Assessment applications sixteen weeks. These are not guaranteed approval dates, and a longer determination period may be agreed in writing. Other application types can have different procedures. [1]
First establish the valid date
Check the council's acknowledgement for the valid date and expected decision date. An application that lacks required information or the correct fee can be invalid; uploading documents is not, by itself, confirmation that the application is complete. [2]
Ask the agent to keep a record of validation requests and what was supplied in response. Where the council asks for something unexpected, seek a clear explanation of the applicable national or local requirement rather than silently treating every request as a redesign instruction.
Identify what is holding the application up
Ask the case officer or agent to name the outstanding issue. For example, request clarification about whether the next step is a response from a consultee, amended information, an agreement on conditions or a decision-making meeting. A specific answer gives you something to act on; “still with planning” does not.
National guidance encourages pre-application engagement to identify issues and information requirements early. It does not guarantee that consultation will produce no further questions. [3]
Where a design change is suggested, ask what objection it addresses and whether the council will accept it within the existing application. Significant changes may require a fresh application rather than a simple replacement drawing. [4]
What an extension of time means
An agreed extension should be in writing and state the expected decision timescale. Ask why it is needed, what remains to be completed and whether the proposed date is realistic before agreeing. [1]
Record the new date in the construction programme. Do not let different team members continue working to different assumptions about when the planning position will be known.
A missed deadline is not permission
For an ordinary planning application, the remedy for non-determination can include an appeal after the applicable period, rather than automatic permission to build. Obtain advice on whether waiting for a near-term decision or appealing is the more useful route for the particular case. [1]
Do not apply this explanation indiscriminately to prior approval: that is a different procedure with route-specific conditions and deadlines. [5]
A confirmed change in October 2026
From 31 October 2026, the national scheme of delegation changes which applications are decided by planning officers and which can go to committee. MHCLG's July 2026 letter confirms the regulations and commencement date. This is not a promise of an earlier decision, and your council should confirm the route for your application. [6]
Finally, allow time after permission for any conditions that must be satisfied before the relevant works start. The decision notice is a document to act on, not merely a date to put in the diary. [4]