Decision times · South East
How long planning decisions take in South Downs National Park
56 days.
In the year to December 2026, the median planning application decided by South Downs National Park took 56 days from submission to decision — exactly the eight week target. That is measured across 1,111 decisions where the council published both dates.
This council carries a figure but no rank
Not ranked yet: our records do not yet pass the historical coverage, monthly continuity, missing-date and refresh checks for this window. 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 South Downs National Park compares
Year to December 2026
South Downs National Park decides faster than the country as a whole: 1 day below the national median of 57 days. Nationally 49% of applications are decided within eight weeks; here it is 52%.
The average here is 62 days, longer than the median because a handful of applications take very much longer than the rest. For planning around, 95 days is the more useful number: nine applications in ten were decided inside it.
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Within eight weeks the statutory target 577 52%
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Eight to thirteen weeks the major development band 400 36%
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Over thirteen weeks commonly an agreed extension 134 12%
By type of application
Year to December 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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Amendments 23 decided 23 days
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Prior approval 63 decided 43 days
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Trees 158 decided 49 days
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Conditions 231 decided 54 days
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Lawful development 66 decided 55 days
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Advertising 20 decided 57 days
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Householder 267 decided 62 days
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Heritage and listed buildings 62 decided 64 days
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Full applications 185 decided 70 days
What South Downs National Park decides
Year to December 2026
South Downs National Park issued 1,111 decisions in the year to December 2026. Of the clear-cut outcomes, 90% were approvals: 854 granted against 94 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 South Downs National Park?
The median planning application decided by South Downs National Park in the year to December 2026 took 56 days from submission to decision, exactly the eight week target. That is measured across 1,111 decisions where the council published both a start date and a decision date.
Does South Downs National Park meet the eight week target?
52% of the 1,111 decisions South Downs National Park made in the year to December 2026 came within eight weeks of the application being received, and 88% within thirteen weeks. Nine in ten were decided within 95 days. Councils can agree an extension of time with an applicant, so a decision past eight weeks is not necessarily a missed deadline.
Is South Downs National Park faster or slower than average?
South Downs National Park is faster than average: its median of 56 days is 1 day below the national median of 57 days.
What proportion of applications does South Downs National Park approve?
90% of the clear-cut outcomes South Downs National Park issued in the year to December 2026 were approvals: 854 granted against 94 refused. Split decisions, withdrawals and other outcomes are excluded from that percentage.
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South Downs National Park planning decision times, year to December 2026: median 56 days from application to decision (exactly the eight week target), across 1,111 decisions with both dates published. 52% were decided within the eight week statutory target, 88% within thirteen weeks; nine in ten within 95 days. 90% of clear-cut outcomes were approvals. Source: PlanIndex, planindex.co.uk.
Or take the data itself: this council's history (CSV) or the full league table (CSV).
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<p>Data: <a href="https://planindex.co.uk/planning-decision-times/south-downs-national-park">Planning decision times, from PlanIndex</a></p>