How long does the decision making process on planning applications take?
We aim to determine 70% of planning applications in eight weeks from registration of a valid application. Some very complex commercial applications might take longer, and applications that go to committee and get deferred because of a site visit by the committee members might also take longer, but most are completed in the time. The most common reason for delay is if changes to plans are required - if so further publicity is usually required and the time scale for handling the application will increase. There are different targets for handling different types of applications - the government target for major applications (e.g. more than 10 houses or larger commercial buildings) is to decide 60% within 13 weeks - for householder applications 80% should be decided in 8 weeks.