Planning decisions in Central Bedfordshire
How long Central Bedfordshire takes to decide a planning application and how many it approves, from the 1,302 decisions it made in the twelve months to August 2026. Days run from validation to decision, the clock the council reports against; the wait from receipt is shown beside it. How the figures are made.
79 daysmedian from validation to decision (UK 52)
26%decided within eight weeks (UK 73%), 60% within thirteen
88%approved (UK 89%): 1,050 approved, 144 refused, 108 withdrawn
300 of 339UK rank for speed, down 108 places on last year; 239 of 339 for approvals
By year
| Year decided | Median days | Within 8 weeks | Approved | Decisions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 * | 56 | 51% | 97% | 64 |
| 2017 * | 60 | 40% | 99% | 80 |
| 2018 * | 56 | 50% | 87% | 122 |
| 2019 * | 68 | 42% | 84% | 105 |
| 2020 * | 70 | 27% | 96% | 105 |
| 2021 * | 77 | 12% | 94% | 138 |
| 2022 * | 63 | 43% | 88% | 101 |
| 2023 * | 77 | 15% | 100% | 42 |
| 2024 * | 65 | 43% | 89% | 99 |
| 2025 * | 72 | 35% | 74% | 36 |
* Years from our archive, which carries no validation date: timed from receipt, so a few days longer than the live years above them.
Past their target date now
- Eastern Way Quarries, Land to the North and South of Eastern Way, Heath and ReachDevelopment Brief relating to Hybrid Planning Application (Environmental Impact Assessment application) comprising: Part A Full planning pdue 30 Jun 2026
- Wyvern Shipping Co Ltd, Rothschild Road, Linslade, Leighton Buzzard, LU7 2TFPermission in Principle: Demolition of existing canal buildings and the erection of 5 dwellings.due 23 Jul 2026
- Manor Farm, Church End, EdworthPrior Approval for the erection, extension or alterations of a building for Agricultural or Forestry use: Removal of grain plant and the sitdue 27 Jul 2026
- Westoning Post Office, 5 High Street, Westoning, Bedford, MK45 5JGInstallation of a modular self-service launderette facility and associated works. (Retrospective)due 12 Aug 2026
- Houghton Regis North Site 1, Sundon Road, Houghton RegisDischarge of Condition 20, against planning permission ref. CB/12/03613/OUTdue 13 Aug 2026
- Land South Of, Potton Road, BiggleswadeNon Material Amendment to Planning Permission CB/07/02189/RM. Amendment sought for the equipment in the play area.due 14 Aug 2026
- Parcel 7 and 8 in area 4 at Linmere, Houghton Regis North, DunstableDischarge of Condition 16, against planning permission ref CB/25/03234/RMdue 14 Aug 2026
- Parcel 7 & 8 of area 4 Linmere, Houghton Regis North, DunstableDischarge of Condition 4, against planning permission ref. CB/25/03234/RMdue 14 Aug 2026
Built nightly from Central Bedfordshire's planning register. Ranks are among the 339 published councils. See planning applications in Central Bedfordshire, appeals, or get alerts for Central Bedfordshire.
About these figures
How are decision times measured?
Days from the date the council validated the application to the date it decided it, for applications approved or refused in the window. That is the clock councils report against and the official statistics use. Each council’s page also shows the count from receipt, which is what the applicant actually waited. Withdrawn and undecided applications are not timed.
Why do these figures differ from the council’s own?
Councils count an agreed extension of time as decided on time; we treat the calendar as the calendar. Our figures are also live and rolling, where official statistics are quarterly and annual. So a council’s own within-eight-weeks figure will usually sit a little above ours.
What counts as approved?
Approval rate is approvals divided by approvals plus refusals. Withdrawals, and decisions whose outcome the register does not state, are counted in the totals but not in the rate.
Why is a council missing?
A council is published when it has at least 25 timed decisions in the window and its register’s decision data passes our consistency checks. Councils that fail are listed with the reason rather than shown with a number that would mislead.
How often is this updated?
Nightly, from the decisions we collect from every council register we monitor. The window is the twelve months to the last complete month.