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See what every UK council is deciding, and how fast it decides

400+ councils and 2.3 million planning applications in one search. Find your council, check its record and get a free alert the day new applications land.

Or search by town, or find your council by postcode

Which councils are busiest, and which decide fastest

Rankings refresh twice a day. Open any council to see every application it has received.

Busiest this month

New planning applications received in the last 30 days.

  1. 1Cornwall Council710+ applications
  2. 2City of Westminster670+ applications
  3. 3Leeds City Council560+ applications
  4. 4Wiltshire Council550+ applications
  5. 5Dorset Council500+ applications
  6. 6Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea490+ applications
  7. 7Buckinghamshire Council470+ applications
  8. 8Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council430 applications
  9. 9London Borough of Camden410+ applications
  10. 10London Borough of Barnet380 applications
See the full ranking of application volumes

Fastest to decide

Median decision time over the last 12 months, for councils with at least 100 decisions.

  1. 1Scottish Borders Council4 weeks
  2. 2Fareham Borough Council4 weeks
  3. 3Shetland Islands Council5 weeks
  4. 4Wolverhampton City Council6 weeks
  5. 5Somerset Council6 weeks
  6. 6Shropshire Council6 weeks
  7. 7Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council6 weeks
  8. 8London Borough of Redbridge6 weeks
  9. 9North Ayrshire Council6 weeks
  10. 10Castle Point Borough Council6 weeks
See decision times for every council

Compare approval rates across every council

Find your council by region

Every council below has its own page with live applications, decisions and its planning record.

Planning applications in London

Councils in London received 100,000+ planning applications in the last 12 months. They approved 83% of the applications they decided in London, and the median decision took 8 weeks. City of Westminster was the busiest, with 8,800+ new applications.

Planning applications in the South East

Councils in the South East received 86,000+ planning applications in the last 12 months. They approved 88% of the applications they decided in the South East, and the median decision took 8 weeks. Buckinghamshire Council was the busiest, with 8,100+ new applications.

Planning applications in the South West

Councils in the South West received 54,000+ planning applications in the last 12 months. They approved 90% of the applications they decided in the South West, and the median decision took 8 weeks. Cornwall Council was the busiest, with 7,900+ new applications.

Planning applications in the East of England

Councils in the East of England received 58,000+ planning applications in the last 12 months. They approved 86% of the applications they decided in the East of England, and the median decision took 8 weeks. East Suffolk Council was the busiest, with 2,700+ new applications.

Planning applications in the East Midlands

Councils in the East Midlands received 31,000+ planning applications in the last 12 months. They approved 90% of the applications they decided in the East Midlands, and the median decision took 8 weeks. West Northamptonshire Council was the busiest, with 2,200+ new applications.

Planning applications in the West Midlands

Councils in the West Midlands received 31,000+ planning applications in the last 12 months. They approved 87% of the applications they decided in the West Midlands, and the median decision took 8 weeks. Shropshire Council was the busiest, with 3,000+ new applications.

Planning applications in the North West

Councils in the North West received 36,000+ planning applications in the last 12 months. They approved 87% of the applications they decided in the North West, and the median decision took 8 weeks. Cheshire West and Chester Council was the busiest, with 2,700+ new applications.

Planning applications in the North East

Councils in the North East received 12,000+ planning applications in the last 12 months. They approved 91% of the applications they decided in the North East, and the median decision took 8 weeks. Northumberland County Council was the busiest, with 4,000+ new applications.

Planning applications in Yorkshire and the Humber

Councils in Yorkshire and the Humber received 27,000+ planning applications in the last 12 months. They approved 86% of the applications they decided in Yorkshire and the Humber, and the median decision took 8 weeks. Leeds City Council was the busiest, with 6,000+ new applications.

Planning applications in Scotland

Councils in Scotland received 33,000+ planning applications in the last 12 months. They approved 94% of the applications they decided in Scotland, and the median decision took 8 weeks. City of Edinburgh Council was the busiest, with 5,200+ new applications.

Planning applications in Wales

Councils in Wales received 13,000+ planning applications in the last 12 months. They approved 88% of the applications they decided in Wales, and the median decision took 8 weeks. City and County of Swansea Council was the busiest, with 1,500+ new applications.

Planning applications in Northern Ireland

Councils in Northern Ireland received 11,000+ planning applications in the last 12 months. They approved 95% of the applications they decided in Northern Ireland, and the median decision took 17 weeks. Belfast City Council was the busiest, with 1,600+ new applications.

Every council page shows you the full picture

Every application

Browse the applications your council has received, with the proposal, status and decision for each one. Filter by status and type to get to the ones that matter to you.

Its track record

See your council's approval rate and decision times, so you know what to expect before you apply or object.

A map of activity

Pins on the council boundary show you exactly where development is happening.

Free council alerts

Follow the council and get one email on the days new applications land.

Questions about councils and planning

What is a local planning authority?

Your local planning authority is the body that decides planning applications for your area. In most of England it is your district, borough, city or unitary council, while county councils decide minerals and waste applications and their own projects, such as new schools. In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland it is your local council. Inside most national parks, the national park authority takes that role.

How do I find my local planning authority?

Enter your postcode in our local planning authority finder and it names the council that decides applications at that address, with a link to its page here. You can also pick your council from the regional lists on this page.

Find your local planning authority

Can I see the planning applications for my council?

Yes. Every council page lists the applications that council has received, with the address, proposal, status and decision for each one. Filter by status or application type, and open any application for its full details and a link to the council's own record.

How do council alerts work?

Council alerts are free. Create an account, open your council's page and press Get alerts. On every day new applications land there, you get one email listing them, and nothing on days when there is nothing new. Pause or remove the alert from the link in any email.

Do you cover Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?

Yes. Councils in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each have their own page here, and the regional lists above link to every one of them.

Know every decision your council makes

Create a free account, open your council's page and switch on its alert. You hear about new applications the day they land.