Decision times · East of England
How long planning decisions take in West Suffolk
57 days.
In the year to December 2026, the median planning application decided by West Suffolk took 57 days from submission to decision — 1 day beyond the eight week target. That is measured across 1,508 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 West Suffolk compares
Year to December 2026
West Suffolk sits exactly on the national median of 57 days. Nationally 49% of applications are decided within eight weeks; here it is 48%.
The average here is 76 days, longer than the median because a handful of applications take very much longer than the rest. For planning around, 135 days is the more useful number: nine applications in ten were decided inside it.
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Within eight weeks the statutory target 723 48%
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Eight to thirteen weeks the major development band 479 32%
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Over thirteen weeks commonly an agreed extension 306 20%
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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Other 19 decided 28 days
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Trees 365 decided 41 days
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Amendments 76 decided 53 days
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Conditions 215 decided 56 days
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Lawful development 63 decided 56 days
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Prior approval 24 decided 56 days
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Householder 306 decided 64 days
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Outline 10 decided 64 days
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Advertising 28 decided 70 days
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Heritage and listed buildings 110 decided 75 days
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Full applications 198 decided 90 days
What West Suffolk decides
Year to December 2026
West Suffolk issued 1,508 decisions in the year to December 2026. Of the clear-cut outcomes, 95% were approvals: 1,325 granted against 66 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 West Suffolk?
The median planning application decided by West Suffolk in the year to December 2026 took 57 days from submission to decision, 1 day beyond the eight week target. That is measured across 1,508 decisions where the council published both a start date and a decision date.
Does West Suffolk meet the eight week target?
48% of the 1,508 decisions West Suffolk made in the year to December 2026 came within eight weeks of the application being received, and 80% within thirteen weeks. Nine in ten were decided within 135 days. Councils can agree an extension of time with an applicant, so a decision past eight weeks is not necessarily a missed deadline.
Is West Suffolk faster or slower than average?
West Suffolk sits exactly on the national median of 57 days.
What proportion of applications does West Suffolk approve?
95% of the clear-cut outcomes West Suffolk issued in the year to December 2026 were approvals: 1,325 granted against 66 refused. Split decisions, withdrawals and other outcomes are excluded from that percentage.
Cite these figures
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West Suffolk planning decision times, year to December 2026: median 57 days from application to decision (1 day beyond the eight week target), across 1,508 decisions with both dates published. 48% were decided within the eight week statutory target, 80% within thirteen weeks; nine in ten within 135 days. 95% 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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