Updated June 2026 · Report
The State of UK Planning — Q2 2026
A national snapshot of UK planning activity, built from the public planning registers SiteLens tracks across 331 local planning authorities. Figures cover the last 12 months unless stated. Free to cite with a link to this page.
Planning applications across the 331 councils tracked reached 118,680 over the past 12 months, with the 90-day momentum showing a rise of 10 per cent to 59,366 applications. This acceleration from the previous 90-day period signals strengthening activity in the supply chain, particularly for small-scale work and material orders. The lifting pace suggests steady demand for labour and subcontracting services, though the volume remains concentrated in minor applications rather than large-value schemes.
Householder applications dominate the mix at 47.8 per cent of all submissions, representing 56,400 schemes. Residential applications account for 11.6 per cent, whilst commercial work stands at 7 per cent. Other categories, including mixed-use and ancillary projects, comprise 21.8 per cent. Major schemes totalled 4,394, with around 3,980 schemes valued over £1 million and 2,444 over £5 million. The balance is heavily weighted toward minor and householder work, which carries lower contract values but wider geographical spread.
The South East leads regional activity at 15.9 per cent of all applications, followed by Greater London at 14 per cent and the South West at 12.1 per cent. The East of England and North West account for 10.8 and 9.4 per cent respectively. The national approval rate stands at 90 per cent across 39,970 decisions recorded in the 12-month period. The median decision time is 52 days, indicating reasonably consistent processing across councils, though timescales will vary significantly by scheme size and local authority caseload.
The trend: applications by month
How monthly application volume has moved across the registers SiteLens tracks. The most recent 90 days ran 10% above the previous 90 — a leading signal of where construction and development work is heading.
Applications validated per month. Earlier months — when SiteLens tracked materially fewer registers — are omitted so the trend compares months of like coverage.
What is being built
The mix of application types across the UK over the last 12 months. Householder applications lead by volume, but the bigger schemes lower down the list are where most supply-chain value sits.
Share of categorised applications, last 12 months.
The scale of the pipeline
Of 118,680 applications in the last 12 months, 4,394 were major schemes — the larger developments that pull in the most trades and suppliers. Where an estimated value band is known, 3,981 sit at £1m or above and 2,444 at £5m+.
| Estimated value band | Applications (12 mo) | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under £10k | 14,555 | 17% |
| £10k–£50k | 23,480 | 28% |
| £50k–£100k | 29,332 | 34% |
| £100k–£500k | 9,482 | 11% |
| £500k–£1m | 4,482 | 5% |
| £1m–£5m | 1,537 | 2% |
| £5m–£20m | 1,507 | 2% |
| £20m+ | 937 | 1% |
Where the activity is
The most active regions by application volume over the last 12 months. A region’s share reflects both its size and how much development is moving through its planning system.
Share of applications by region, last 12 months.
Fastest-growing councils right now
Local planning authorities with the biggest jump in application volume in the last 90 days versus the previous 90 — the places heating up fastest. Limited to councils with a meaningful baseline so small-sample swings don’t distort the list.
| Council | Region | Prev 90d | Last 90d | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wiltshire Council | South West | 926 | 1,552 | +626 (+68%) |
| Cheshire East Council | North West | 80 | 483 | +403 (+504%) |
| Leeds City Council | Yorkshire | 121 | 513 | +392 (+324%) |
| Northumberland County Council | North East | 30 | 408 | +378 (+1260%) |
| London Borough of Barnet | London | 72 | 450 | +378 (+525%) |
| Northumberland National Park Authority | North East | 25 | 349 | +324 (+1296%) |
Methodology
Figures are derived from the public planning registers SiteLens monitors across UK local planning authorities. The activity date is when an application was validated (or received, where validation is not recorded). Volumes count applications in the stated window; the approval rate is the share of applications decided in the last 12 months that were granted; the median decision time is the typical span from receipt to decision over the same decisions. Momentum compares the last 90 days with the preceding 90. Coverage expands as more registers are tracked, so national totals are a floor, not a complete count. For the detail behind these numbers, see our UK planning statistics by council or explore any authority on its SiteLens council page.
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