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East of England planning applications

185,319 applications. 91% approved. 56 days at the median council.

As of September 2026, PlanIndex holds 185,319 planning applications from 46 of the 46 local planning authorities in East of England. 34,070 were decided in the trailing 12 months, with 91% of clear-cut outcomes approved.

46
Planning authorities 46 with data indexed
56,101
New applications 12 months to September 2026
34,070
Decided 12 months to September 2026
56 days
Median decision national median 56 days

Every council in East of England

Applications on record, with each council's own approval rate and decision speed

Planning application volumes, approval rates and median decision times for the local planning authorities in East of England. Source: PlanIndex, planindex.co.uk.
Council On record Last 12 months Approved Median days Decision times
Babergh 7,041 3,784 93% 50 How long decisions take
Basildon 4,430 1,389 91% 73 How long decisions take
Bedford 1,331 897 76% 56 How long decisions take
Braintree 19 Not yet measured
Breckland 1,007 295 Not yet measured
Brentwood 2,590 794 88% 75 How long decisions take
Broadland 9,774 3,354 95% 51 How long decisions take
Broxbourne 1,535 616 89% 56 How long decisions take
Cambridge 2,948 1,030 94% 52 How long decisions take
Castle Point 1,279 312 86% 55 How long decisions take
Central Bedfordshire 3,219 1,200 88% 70 How long decisions take
Chelmsford 9,193 1,262 87% 55 How long decisions take
Colchester 2,696 1,131 86% 63 How long decisions take
Dacorum 3,851 1,121 85% 52 How long decisions take
East Cambridgeshire 1,210 544 93% 55 How long decisions take
East Hertfordshire 5,944 1,254 79% 81 How long decisions take
East Suffolk 5,225 3,575 95% 53 How long decisions take
Epping Forest 2,592 1,016 80% 56 How long decisions take
Fenland 1,040 409 88% 75 How long decisions take
Great Yarmouth 3,777 755 85% 242 How long decisions take
Harlow 1,639 286 84% 60 How long decisions take
Hertsmere 3,522 1,047 85% 66 How long decisions take
Huntingdonshire 6,896 2,447 89% 98 How long decisions take
Ipswich 2,873 908 94% 51 How long decisions take
King’s Lynn and West Norfolk 4,838 1,170 86% 56 How long decisions take
Luton 2,049 653 81% 80 How long decisions take
Maldon 2,486 645 78% 130 How long decisions take
Mid Suffolk 7,041 3,784 93% 50 How long decisions take
North Hertfordshire 3,877 1,256 90% 51 How long decisions take
North Norfolk 4,318 1,284 95% 63 How long decisions take
Norwich 3,430 556 93% 55 How long decisions take
Peterborough 11,520 1,416 86% 53 How long decisions take
Rochford 7,043 543 85% 65 How long decisions take
South Cambridgeshire 3,441 1,539 90% 58 How long decisions take
South Norfolk 9,733 3,363 95% 50 How long decisions take
Southend-on-Sea 2,766 477 88% 59 How long decisions take
St Albans 2,964 1,670 81% 71 How long decisions take
Stevenage 1,285 517 Not yet measured
Tendring 3,855 1,278 89% 56 How long decisions take
The Broads Authority 1,222 288 99% 44 How long decisions take
Three Rivers 7,679 1,196 89% 57 How long decisions take
Thurrock 2,292 757 83% 58 How long decisions take
Uttlesford 5,105 1,450 73% 57 How long decisions take
Watford 5,255 492 66% 54 How long decisions take
Welwyn Hatfield 3,486 989 90% 58 How long decisions take
West Suffolk 4,003 2,231 96% 56 How long decisions take

Approval rates and median days come from the PlanIndex decision-times study; a dash means the council has too few timed decisions to measure fairly. Councils without a count are not yet ingested.

Latest applications in East of England

Data to September 2026

  • 26/01663/TRCA Awaiting decision

    5 Oakfields Hemingford Grey Huntingdon PE28 9BE

    Maple Tree - reduce the crown of the tree to approx. 6m high.

    Submitted 8 Sep 2026
  • UTT/26/2308/TCA Awaiting decision

    St Marys The Virgin Church Church Street Newport Essex CB11 3RA

    1 no. multi stemmed Ash along boundary line in church yard - reduce crown by approximately 4-5 meters and remove major deadwood

    Submitted 8 Sep 2026 Trees
  • 26/02159/DOC Awaiting decision

    66 Park Lane Knebworth Hertfordshire SG3 6PW

    Details reserved by Condition 6 (Construction Method Statement) of outline planning permission reference 23/02946/OP granted on 18.06.2025.

    Submitted 8 Sep 2026 Conditions
  • 26/02250/TCA Awaiting decision

    Caldicott Court Harrison Close Hitchin Hertfordshire SG4 9SL

    T2: Sycamore - Cut back to boundary. T5: 10x Pines - Crown reduction up to 30%.

    Submitted 8 Sep 2026 Trees
  • 26/02249/TPO Awaiting decision

    Caldicott Court Harrison Close Hitchin Hertfordshire SG4 9SL

    T1: Common Walnut - Crown reduction 30%. T3: Beech - Cut back to boundary. T4: Pine - Cut back to boundary.

    Submitted 8 Sep 2026 Trees
  • 26/00985/LDCP Awaiting decision

    26A Stock Road Billericay Essex CM12 0BE

    To establish the lawfulness of a proposed single storey rear extension.

    Submitted 8 Sep 2026
  • 26/01664/TREE Awaiting decision

    Holly Cottage Bydand Lane Little Paxton St Neots PE19 6ES

    T1 (Oak) - Crown reduction of 2/3m to keep overall health and tree in shape.

    Submitted 8 Sep 2026 Trees
  • 26/01665/TRCA Awaiting decision

    1A Station Road Tilbrook Huntingdon PE28 0JT

    T1 Eucalyptus - removed to ground level T2 Oak - crown reduction by 2/3 metres

    Submitted 8 Sep 2026
  • 26/02156/DOC Awaiting decision

    Northway Filling Station Great North Road Hinxworth Baldock Hertfordshire SG7 5EX

    Details reserved by Condition 6 (Sustainable drainage planters) of planning permission reference 25/02260/FP granted on 21.07.2026.

    Submitted 8 Sep 2026 Conditions
  • 26/00978/LDCP Awaiting decision

    16 Porchester Road Billericay Essex CM12 0UQ

    To establish the lawfulness of proposed part garage conversion with side window

    Submitted 7 Sep 2026

Common questions

How many local planning authorities are there in East of England?

East of England has 46 local planning authorities listed on PlanIndex, 46 of which have applications indexed here. Each has its own hub with volumes, approval rates and the latest submissions.

How many planning applications does East of England decide?

In the 12 months to September 2026, councils in East of England decided 34,070 planning applications. 91% of clear-cut outcomes were approvals.

Which council in East of England decides planning applications fastest?

Of the 43 East of England councils ranked in the PlanIndex decision-times study, The Broads Authority had the fastest median in the year to September 2026 at 44 days from application to decision. The slowest was Great Yarmouth at 242 days.

How long does a planning decision take in East of England?

Taking the median council in East of England, a planning decision takes 56 days from application to decision, measured across 32,980 decisions from 43 ranked councils. The figure is the median of each council's own median, so one large authority cannot move it on its own.

Which is the busiest council in East of England for planning applications?

Babergh recorded 3,784 applications in the 12 months to September 2026, the most of any council in East of England over that period.