Decision times · East Midlands
How long planning decisions take in North Northamptonshire
81 days.
In the year to September 2026, the median planning application decided by North Northamptonshire took 81 days from submission to decision — 25 days beyond the eight week target. That is measured across 1,807 decisions where the council published both dates.
This council carries a figure but no rank
Not ranked yet: our records for this council begin on 13 July 2025, which is not far enough before this window to see its slower cases. The figure above is still what the published dates say; it is left out of the league table so it cannot distort the ranking. See the methodology.
How North Northamptonshire compares
Year to September 2026
North Northamptonshire takes longer than the country as a whole: 25 days above the national median of 56 days. Nationally 55% of applications are decided within eight weeks; here it is 29%.
The average here is 94 days, longer than the median because a handful of applications take very much longer than the rest. For planning around, 172 days is the more useful number: nine applications in ten were decided inside it.
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Within eight weeks the statutory target 533 29%
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Eight to thirteen weeks the major development band 546 30%
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Over thirteen weeks commonly an agreed extension 728 40%
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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Other 24 decided 28 days
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Trees 328 decided 49 days
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Telecoms 14 decided 58 days
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Lawful development 128 decided 71 days
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Conditions 433 decided 76 days
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Outline 27 decided 80 days
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Amendments 95 decided 81 days
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Advertising 25 decided 94 days
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Householder 354 decided 94 days
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Heritage and listed buildings 103 decided 113 days
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Full applications 232 decided 124 days
What North Northamptonshire decides
Year to September 2026
North Northamptonshire issued 1,808 decisions in the year to September 2026. Of the clear-cut outcomes, 91% were approvals: 1,480 granted against 138 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 Northamptonshire?
The median planning application decided by North Northamptonshire in the year to September 2026 took 81 days from submission to decision, 25 days beyond the eight week target. That is measured across 1,807 decisions where the council published both a start date and a decision date.
Does North Northamptonshire meet the eight week target?
29% of the 1,807 decisions North Northamptonshire made in the year to September 2026 came within eight weeks of the application being received, and 60% within thirteen weeks. Nine in ten were decided within 172 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 Northamptonshire faster or slower than average?
North Northamptonshire is slower than average: its median of 81 days is 25 days above the national median of 56 days.
What proportion of applications does North Northamptonshire approve?
91% of the clear-cut outcomes North Northamptonshire issued in the year to September 2026 were approvals: 1,480 granted against 138 refused. Split decisions, withdrawals and other outcomes are excluded from that percentage.
Cite these figures
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North Northamptonshire planning decision times, year to September 2026: median 81 days from application to decision (25 days beyond the eight week target), across 1,807 decisions with both dates published. 29% were decided within the eight week statutory target, 60% within thirteen weeks; nine in ten within 172 days. 91% of clear-cut outcomes were approvals. Source: PlanIndex, planindex.co.uk.