The average decision time for a local development in 2014/15 was 10.1 weeks, according to statistics.

The Official Statistics Publication also reveals the average decision time for a major development in 2014/15 was 36.6 weeks, two weeks slower than the average of 34.6 weeks in the previous year.

Local developments include applications for 50 or more homes, as well as certain waste, water, transport and energy-related projects, larger retail developments, and other types of major schemes.


The number of Local Development decisions in 2014/15 totalled 29,738, a decrease of 1% (288 applications) from the previous year. This drop has been largely due to fewer electricity, business & industry and ‘other local’ applications.

The number of Major Development decisions in 2014/15 totalled 298, a drop of 4% (12 applications) from 2013/14. This decrease has been mostly due to fewer electricity generation applications.

(LM)