North East

County Durham planning statistics

Householder applications decided in the year to June 2026, compared with the rest of England.

Search planning applications County Durham council website

How long does planning permission take in County Durham?

County Durham decided 62.0% of householder applications within 8 weeks without an extension in the year to June 2026, against 62.7% across England.

County Durham is highlighted on the map. See on the map

Within 8 weeks, no extension

62.0%

166th of 297

0.7 points slower than England

Granted

97.2%

28th of 297

6.7 points higher than England

Extension of time

34.8%

179th of 297

2.5 points higher than England

Decisions (12 months)

719

County Durham decided 719 householder applications in the year to June 2026, granting 97.2%.

62.0% were decided within 8 weeks with no extension, against 62.7% across England (166th of 297 for speed).

A further 34.8% were decided under an extension of time agreed with the applicant.

That is up from 52.4% a year earlier.

Of 8 householder appeals decided in the same period, 12.5% were allowed.

How quickly decisions are made

County Durham against England, share of householder decisions each quarter

Within 8 weeks, no extension
Extension of time
England, within 8 weeks

Source: MHCLG PS2, OGL v3. Chart: buildwiz.uk

Show data

Quarter	Within 8 weeks, no extension	Extension of time	England, within 8 weeks
2009 Q2	80.4%	0.0%	91.7%
2009 Q3	91.7%	0.0%	91.4%
2009 Q4	94.5%	0.0%	91.0%
2010 Q1	92.1%	0.0%	88.8%
2010 Q2	94.7%	0.0%	89.8%
2010 Q3	95.5%	0.0%	88.4%
2010 Q4	91.7%	0.0%	87.7%
2011 Q1	90.3%	0.0%	86.4%
2011 Q2	91.2%	0.0%	85.9%
2011 Q3	92.1%	0.0%	84.9%
2011 Q4	91.5%	0.0%	84.9%
2012 Q1	93.1%	0.0%	83.7%
2012 Q2	94.8%	0.0%	84.2%
2012 Q3	89.0%	0.0%	82.9%
2012 Q4	90.1%	0.0%	85.2%
2013 Q1	94.6%	0.0%	85.7%
2013 Q2	96.6%	0.0%	86.3%
2013 Q3	93.1%	0.0%	85.3%
2013 Q4	91.2%	0.0%	86.3%
2014 Q1	91.8%	0.0%	85.4%
2014 Q2	90.7%	0.0%	84.9%
2014 Q3	95.9%	0.0%	82.5%
2014 Q4	95.0%	1.0%	82.1%
2015 Q1	91.1%	2.8%	80.4%
2015 Q2	93.9%	1.0%	80.6%
2015 Q3	92.1%	3.0%	79.2%
2015 Q4	91.4%	1.6%	80.0%
2016 Q1	92.7%	5.0%	78.3%
2016 Q2	89.2%	5.4%	79.8%
2016 Q3	83.6%	9.1%	77.7%
2016 Q4	89.9%	4.4%	78.0%
2017 Q1	89.1%	7.8%	77.3%
2017 Q2	92.9%	5.9%	78.5%
2017 Q3	89.6%	7.2%	76.1%
2017 Q4	91.6%	7.3%	77.1%
2018 Q1	89.7%	9.5%	73.7%
2018 Q2	91.8%	6.8%	74.0%
2018 Q3	88.6%	10.4%	72.7%
2018 Q4	94.3%	5.3%	72.7%
2019 Q1	91.7%	7.8%	69.9%
2019 Q2	89.4%	9.1%	72.1%
2019 Q3	88.8%	10.9%	69.6%
2019 Q4	87.8%	12.2%	71.5%
2020 Q1	85.8%	12.5%	68.4%
2020 Q2	84.2%	12.8%	63.9%
2020 Q3	84.1%	14.3%	63.8%
2020 Q4	82.5%	15.9%	65.3%
2021 Q1	77.0%	21.7%	59.4%
2021 Q2	79.4%	18.3%	58.4%
2021 Q3	74.2%	24.9%	53.1%
2021 Q4	72.1%	24.2%	53.0%
2022 Q1	68.9%	28.7%	51.6%
2022 Q2	69.6%	26.3%	56.0%
2022 Q3	59.2%	33.8%	53.3%
2022 Q4	55.2%	37.5%	54.1%
2023 Q1	45.3%	45.3%	53.5%
2023 Q2	49.1%	39.7%	58.5%
2023 Q3	47.9%	45.2%	59.0%
2023 Q4	50.5%	46.5%	59.8%
2024 Q1	45.5%	51.1%	58.8%
2024 Q2	59.1%	37.0%	64.4%
2024 Q3	48.8%	43.3%	64.2%
2024 Q4	49.4%	48.2%	65.6%
2025 Q1	50.7%	43.7%	62.1%
2025 Q2	59.1%	36.4%	65.0%
2025 Q3	63.9%	34.0%	62.5%
2025 Q4	58.2%	37.1%	64.7%
2026 Q1	53.7%	41.4%	60.6%
2026 Q2	70.4%	28.1%	62.7%

Share of applications granted

County Durham against England

County Durham
England

Source: MHCLG PS2, OGL v3. Chart: buildwiz.uk

Show data

Quarter	County Durham	England
2009 Q2	93.9%	86.8%
2009 Q3	94.6%	87.4%
2009 Q4	94.3%	86.9%
2010 Q1	93.3%	87.0%
2010 Q2	97.0%	88.0%
2010 Q3	93.3%	87.7%
2010 Q4	98.3%	87.5%
2011 Q1	97.4%	87.9%
2011 Q2	97.2%	88.5%
2011 Q3	95.1%	88.3%
2011 Q4	96.0%	88.3%
2012 Q1	94.8%	88.2%
2012 Q2	96.2%	89.2%
2012 Q3	98.4%	89.0%
2012 Q4	96.3%	88.9%
2013 Q1	97.3%	89.8%
2013 Q2	98.1%	90.6%
2013 Q3	97.2%	90.3%
2013 Q4	98.9%	89.6%
2014 Q1	97.3%	89.8%
2014 Q2	98.2%	90.5%
2014 Q3	97.6%	90.0%
2014 Q4	97.3%	89.2%
2015 Q1	97.2%	89.3%
2015 Q2	99.0%	90.2%
2015 Q3	97.7%	90.0%
2015 Q4	98.8%	89.2%
2016 Q1	98.2%	90.0%
2016 Q2	99.0%	90.3%
2016 Q3	98.2%	90.2%
2016 Q4	97.6%	89.7%
2017 Q1	98.7%	89.9%
2017 Q2	98.8%	90.5%
2017 Q3	98.6%	90.0%
2017 Q4	96.9%	90.1%
2018 Q1	99.6%	90.5%
2018 Q2	98.3%	91.0%
2018 Q3	98.7%	91.2%
2018 Q4	98.4%	90.5%
2019 Q1	98.6%	90.3%
2019 Q2	98.4%	91.0%
2019 Q3	99.4%	90.6%
2019 Q4	98.3%	89.8%
2020 Q1	95.5%	89.9%
2020 Q2	97.9%	90.2%
2020 Q3	97.7%	90.6%
2020 Q4	98.1%	90.3%
2021 Q1	98.7%	90.9%
2021 Q2	98.7%	91.2%
2021 Q3	98.6%	91.0%
2021 Q4	96.6%	90.1%
2022 Q1	97.5%	90.0%
2022 Q2	98.3%	90.4%
2022 Q3	98.1%	89.8%
2022 Q4	96.4%	89.4%
2023 Q1	98.3%	89.3%
2023 Q2	96.7%	89.2%
2023 Q3	95.9%	88.6%
2023 Q4	98.0%	88.2%
2024 Q1	97.2%	88.2%
2024 Q2	96.1%	89.1%
2024 Q3	95.9%	89.4%
2024 Q4	97.0%	88.6%
2025 Q1	95.8%	89.3%
2025 Q2	98.2%	90.4%
2025 Q3	96.9%	90.1%
2025 Q4	97.1%	90.1%
2026 Q1	96.3%	90.6%
2026 Q2	98.5%	91.0%

How long decisions took

Householder decisions over the last 12 months

Within 8 weeks62.0%
8 to 13 weeks1.7%
13 to 26 weeks0.8%
Over 26 weeks0.7%
Extension of time agreed34.8%

Source: MHCLG PS2, OGL v3. Chart: buildwiz.uk

Show data

Time taken	Decisions
Within 8 weeks	446
8 to 13 weeks	12
13 to 26 weeks	6
Over 26 weeks	5
Extension of time agreed	250

Appeals

Decided: 8
Allowed: 12.5%
Median wait: 7 weeks

Householder appeals to the Planning Inspectorate decided in the same 12 months. England: 34.4% allowed.

Refusals overturned at appeal

4.3% of refusals were later overturned at appeal (July 2021 to June 2026): 5 appeals allowed against 117 refusals.

24th lowest of 299 planning authorities. England: 8.9% (July 2021 to June 2026).

Householder refusals from MHCLG table PS2; appeals allowed from the Planning Inspectorate. Approximate: appeals decided in the period, which can relate to earlier refusals.

Larger home extensions (prior approval)

Single-storey rear extensions deeper than 4 metres on a detached house (3 metres otherwise), up to 8 metres (6 metres), can use prior approval instead of a planning application, except in conservation areas, National Landscapes and other protected areas.

Of 43 larger extension notifications between July 2025 and June 2026, 40 needed no approval, 2 were approved and 1 was refused.

Fewer than 10 decided in the period.

Figures as first published (provisional).

MHCLG live table PDR 1.

Enforcement

7 planning enforcement notices issued in the year to June 2026.

0.03 per 1,000 homes, against 0.17 across England. 37th lowest of 294 planning authorities.

Covers all types of development, not only extensions.

MHCLG table P130; homes from the VOA Council Tax stock of properties.

Protected areas

92 conservation areas: Annfield Plain, Aycliffe Village, Barnard Castle, Barningham, Beamish Burn, Bishop Auckland, Bishop Middleham, Blackhill, Bolam, Bowburn, Bowes, Brancepeth and 80 more.

County Durham has not published its Article 4 directions to the national planning data service, so the count may be incomplete.

Both can remove permitted development rights, so check with the council before relying on them. Permitted development rules

To check one postcode for a conservation area, listed buildings nearby, flood zone and radon, use the address check.

planning.data.gov.uk.

Builders

1,890 registered building and trade firms in 2026, 7.3 per 1,000 homes, about 0.4 householder decisions per firm a year.

43rd lowest of 294 planning authorities. England median: 10.1 per 1,000 homes and 0.5 decisions per firm.

Counts VAT or PAYE registered firms only, rounded to 5 by ONS; self-employed builders below the VAT threshold aren't included.

Finding a builder

ONS UK Business Counts; homes from the VOA Council Tax stock of properties; decisions from MHCLG table PS2.

Compared with neighbouring councils

Decisions and approvals in the year to June 2026; overturns over each council's appeal window; builders per 1,000 homes in 2026.

Decided within 8 weeks, no extension

Granted

Refusals overturned at appeal

Registered building firms per 1,000 homes

Questions about planning in County Durham

How long does planning permission take in County Durham?

County Durham decided 62.0% of householder applications within 8 weeks without an extension in the year to June 2026, against 62.7% across England.

Is my house in a conservation area in County Durham?

92 conservation areas: Annfield Plain, Aycliffe Village, Barnard Castle, Barningham, Beamish Burn, Bishop Auckland, Bishop Middleham, Blackhill, Bolam, Bowburn, Bowes, Brancepeth and 80 more. Most councils publish a conservation area map showing whether a street is inside one.

How many builders are there in County Durham?

1,890 registered building and trade firms in 2026, 7.3 per 1,000 homes, about 0.4 householder decisions per firm a year. Counts VAT or PAYE registered firms only, rounded to 5 by ONS; self-employed builders below the VAT threshold aren't included.

Do I need planning permission for an extension in County Durham?

Many extensions can be built under permitted development without an application, but conservation areas and Article 4 directions can remove those rights, so check whether your address is in a conservation area or covered by an Article 4 direction before relying on them. Do you need planning permission?

Property prices and energy performance in County Durham

Homes sold July 2023 to June 2026, matched to the floor area and energy rating on their Energy Performance Certificate.

Median price per m²

£1,718

21,556 sales

17% below North East

Homes sold rated EPC A to C

53.2%

Median energy score 69

1.1 points below North East

Value added by extending, per m²

£838

14.0% on the sale price

18% below North East

Energy upgrade, no extension

+10.0%

Sale-price uplift when the energy score rose 5+ points

2.0 points above North East

The median home sold in County Durham was £140,000 for 86 m² of floor space. Price per m² is up 36% since 2015 (£1,304 to £1,771 per m², 2025). Across all 187,305 homes with a certificate, 52.1% are rated A to C on their latest one.

959 houses here were extended between two sales (second sale 2016 to 2026), adding a median 26 m². They sold for a median 14.0% more than similar unextended houses, £838 for each m² added. Will an extension pay for itself here?

Medians from HM Land Registry sale prices and MHCLG Energy Performance Certificates; groups under 30 sales or 50 extended houses are not shown. These describe past sales across many homes, not a valuation of any one. How these are worked out

Next steps for your extension

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