Decision times · East of England
How long planning decisions take in North Norfolk
62 days. Ranked 231 of 343.
In the year to September 2026, the median planning application decided by North Norfolk took 62 days from submission to decision — 6 days beyond the eight week target. That is measured across 614 decisions where the council published both dates.
How North Norfolk compares
Year to September 2026
North Norfolk takes longer than the country as a whole: 6 days above the national median of 56 days. Nationally 55% of applications are decided within eight weeks; here it is 44%.
The average here is 97 days, longer than the median because a handful of applications take very much longer than the rest. For planning around, 196 days is the more useful number: nine applications in ten were decided inside it.
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Within eight weeks the statutory target 270 44%
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Eight to thirteen weeks the major development band 167 27%
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Over thirteen weeks commonly an agreed extension 177 29%
The last few years
Each row is a full twelve months of decisions, ending in the quarter shown
Rolling twelve month windows overlap by nine months, so this reads as a trend rather than as four separate quarters. Only windows our records reach far enough back to measure in full are listed.
| Twelve months to | Median days | UK rank |
|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | 62 | 231 of 343 |
| June 2026 | 52 | 75 of 328 |
| September 2025 | 49 | 65 of 324 |
| June 2025 | 49 | 27 of 313 |
| March 2025 | 49 | 25 of 315 |
| December 2024 | 49 | 28 of 319 |
Against the same twelve months a year earlier, when the median was 49 days, North Norfolk has moved down 166 places in the table.
By type of application
Year to September 2026 · types with at least ten decisions
The headline median mixes every kind of application together. A householder extension and an outline application for a housing site are not the same job, and the difference between them is usually larger than the difference between two councils.
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Trees 130 decided 33 days
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Amendments 34 decided 52 days
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Advertising 11 decided 57 days
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Lawful development 33 decided 62 days
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Outline 13 decided 64 days
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Heritage and listed buildings 59 decided 67 days
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Conditions 64 decided 74 days
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Householder 126 decided 75 days
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Full applications 102 decided 117 days
What North Norfolk decides
Year to September 2026
North Norfolk issued 614 decisions in the year to September 2026. Of the clear-cut outcomes, 95% were approvals: 405 granted against 21 refused. Split decisions, withdrawals and other outcomes sit outside that percentage rather than being counted as either.
Speed and approval rate are separate things. A council that refuses quickly is not doing the same job as one that negotiates an approval slowly, and neither figure alone says which served the applicant better.
Common questions
How long does a planning decision take in North Norfolk?
The median planning application decided by North Norfolk in the year to September 2026 took 62 days from submission to decision, 6 days beyond the eight week target. That is measured across 614 decisions where the council published both a start date and a decision date. It ranks 231 of 343 UK councils on decision speed.
Does North Norfolk meet the eight week target?
44% of the 614 decisions North Norfolk made in the year to September 2026 came within eight weeks of the application being received, and 71% within thirteen weeks. Nine in ten were decided within 196 days. Councils can agree an extension of time with an applicant, so a decision past eight weeks is not necessarily a missed deadline.
Is North Norfolk faster or slower than average?
North Norfolk is slower than average: its median of 62 days is 6 days above the national median of 56 days.
Is North Norfolk getting faster or slower?
Against the same twelve month window a year earlier, when its median was 49 days, North Norfolk has moved down 166 places in the table. Its median has risen by 13 days.
What proportion of applications does North Norfolk approve?
95% of the clear-cut outcomes North Norfolk issued in the year to September 2026 were approvals: 405 granted against 21 refused. Split decisions, withdrawals and other outcomes are excluded from that percentage.
Cite these figures
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North Norfolk planning decision times, year to September 2026: median 62 days from application to decision (6 days beyond the eight week target), across 614 decisions with both dates published. 44% were decided within the eight week statutory target, 71% within thirteen weeks; nine in ten within 196 days. Ranked 231 of 343 UK councils on decision speed (national median 56 days). 95% of clear-cut outcomes were approvals. Source: PlanIndex, planindex.co.uk.