Decision times · East Midlands
How long planning decisions take in South Kesteven
64 days.
In the year to December 2026, the median planning application decided by South Kesteven took 64 days from submission to decision — 8 days beyond the eight week target. That is measured across 706 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 Kesteven compares
Year to December 2026
South Kesteven takes longer than the country as a whole: 7 days above the national median of 57 days. Nationally 49% of applications are decided within eight weeks; here it is 43%.
The average here is 85 days, longer than the median because a handful of applications take very much longer than the rest. For planning around, 170 days is the more useful number: nine applications in ten were decided inside it.
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Within eight weeks the statutory target 307 43%
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Eight to thirteen weeks the major development band 197 28%
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Over thirteen weeks commonly an agreed extension 202 29%
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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Outline 37 decided 30 days
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Trees 127 decided 35 days
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Amendments 25 decided 39 days
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Prior approval 23 decided 48 days
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Heritage and listed buildings 83 decided 71 days
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Householder 132 decided 74 days
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Lawful development 28 decided 74 days
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Advertising 11 decided 83 days
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Conditions 66 decided 91 days
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Full applications 110 decided 115 days
What South Kesteven decides
Year to December 2026
South Kesteven issued 706 decisions in the year to December 2026. Of the clear-cut outcomes, 92% were approvals: 618 granted against 52 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 Kesteven?
The median planning application decided by South Kesteven in the year to December 2026 took 64 days from submission to decision, 8 days beyond the eight week target. That is measured across 706 decisions where the council published both a start date and a decision date.
Does South Kesteven meet the eight week target?
43% of the 706 decisions South Kesteven made in the year to December 2026 came within eight weeks of the application being received, and 71% within thirteen weeks. Nine in ten were decided within 170 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 Kesteven faster or slower than average?
South Kesteven is slower than average: its median of 64 days is 7 days above the national median of 57 days.
What proportion of applications does South Kesteven approve?
92% of the clear-cut outcomes South Kesteven issued in the year to December 2026 were approvals: 618 granted against 52 refused. Split decisions, withdrawals and other outcomes are excluded from that percentage.
Cite these figures
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South Kesteven planning decision times, year to December 2026: median 64 days from application to decision (8 days beyond the eight week target), across 706 decisions with both dates published. 43% were decided within the eight week statutory target, 71% within thirteen weeks; nine in ten within 170 days. 92% 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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<script src="https://planindex.co.uk/embed/decision-times.js" data-council="south-kesteven" defer></script>If your CMS strips scripts, use the frame directly:
<iframe src="https://planindex.co.uk/embed/decision-times/south-kesteven" title="Planning decision times in South Kesteven" width="100%" height="215" loading="lazy" frameborder="0"></iframe>
<p>Data: <a href="https://planindex.co.uk/planning-decision-times/south-kesteven">Planning decision times, from PlanIndex</a></p>