Planning decisions in Guildford
How long Guildford takes to decide a planning application and how many it approves, from the 1,053 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.
55 daysmedian from validation to decision (UK 52); 58 from receipt
58%decided within eight weeks (UK 73%), 83% within thirteen
87%approved (UK 89%): 851 approved, 130 refused, 38 withdrawn
245 of 321UK rank for speed, up 44 places on last year; 237 of 321 for approvals
By kind of application
| Kind | Median days | Within 8 weeks | Approved | Decisions | UK rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full applications (including householder) | 64 | 42% | 88% | 430 | 277 of 302 |
| Discharge of conditions | 54 | 52% | 85% | 160 | 137 of 175 |
| Tree works | 40 | 94% | 99% | 156 | 147 of 259 |
| Lawful development certificates | 55 | 59% | 79% | 138 | 203 of 253 |
| Amendments | 25 | 85% | 87% | 56 | 45 of 263 |
| Listed building consent | 66 | 38% | 90% | 42 | 168 of 200 |
| Prior approvals * | 40 | 100% | 27% | 39 | 77 of 168 |
| Advertisement consent * | 49 | 76% | 81% | 21 | 40 of 190 |
Appeals
103 appeals against Guildford decisions were decided by the Planning Inspectorate in the window, 79 for every 100 refusals; 20% were allowed. Every appeal in Guildford.
By year
| Year decided | Median days | Within 8 weeks | Approved | Decisions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 * | 55 | 75% | 79% | 76 |
| 2017 * | 29 | 82% | 71% | 202 |
| 2018 * | 57 | 49% | 86% | 50 |
| 2019 * | 52 | 69% | 80% | 35 |
| 2020 * | 33 | 75% | 83% | 172 |
| 2021 * | 79 | 22% | 93% | 27 |
| 2022 * | 39 | 95% | 98% | 302 |
| 2023 * | 76 | 26% | 87% | 57 |
| 2024 * | 62 | 45% | 86% | 394 |
| 2025 * | 98 | 23% | 87% | 101 |
| 2026 so far | 58 | 48% | 87% | 1,053 |
* 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
- Pippins, Park Corner Drive, East Horsley, Leatherhead, KT24 6SEVariation of condition 2 (drawing numbers) of planning permission 25/P/00460 approved 13/06/2025 for the erection of self build, 2 storey 4due 12 Jun 2026
- 79 Portsmouth Road, Guildford, GU2 4BSApplication under section 19 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas Act) 1990 Act (as amended) for a variation of conditiodue 1 Jul 2026
- 79 Portsmouth Road, Guildford, GU2 4BSApplication under Section 73 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to vary condition 2 (drawing numbers) of planning permission 21/P/022due 1 Jul 2026
- 29 St Johns Road, Guildford, GU2 7UQChange of use from a 6 bedroom HMO (use class C4) to a 7 bedroom HMO (use class Sui Generis) (retrospective application).due 17 Jul 2026
- 43 Quarry Road, Hurtmore, Godalming, GU7 2RWSingle storey side extensions together with alterations to materials of bathroom dormer from hung tile to render.due 28 Jul 2026
- 23 North Street, Guildford, GU1 4TAAdvertising Consent for one internally illuminated static fascia Sign.due 30 Jul 2026
- 20 Envis Way, Fairlands, Guildford, GU3 3NHErection of new and replacement boundary fences, some 1.8m high and some 2.2m high. Installation of raised parking area to front of propertydue 31 Jul 2026
- Shalford Mill, The Street, ShalfordApplication for a Larinier fish pass and eel pass to be constructed on the true right bank of the Tillingbourne immediately upstream of Shaldue 3 Aug 2026
Decided in the last three weeks
- Farm View, Boughton Hall Avenue, Send, Woking, GU23 7DFPart single, part two storey front, side and rear extensions with new raised patio, replacement workshop/garage roof and front wall and alteApproved10 Sept 2026
- 11 Chestnut Way, East Horsley, KT24Non-material amendment to planning permission 25/P/00852 approved 20/10/2025 to vary condition 2 (approved plans). The amendment proposes toApproved10 Sept 2026
- Tythebarn, East Shalford Lane, Guildford, GU4 8ASDischarge of condition 4 (materials) of planning applicaiton 24/P/00232, approved 18/06/2024.Approved10 Sept 2026
- Grange Farm, Grange Road, Tongham, Farnham, GU10 1DNErection of a self build 2 storey detached 4 bedroom dwelling, carport and access following relocation and demolition of existing outbuildinApproved10 Sept 2026
- Hilltop, Shere Road, West Horsley, Leatherhead, KT24 6EJProposed first floor front and rear extensions, single storey extension, front porch, insertion of ground floor/first floor windows and doorRefused10 Sept 2026
- Meadow View, Westwood Lane, Wanborough, Guildford, GU3 2JRT1 ? Horse Chestnut Remove epicormic growth on the main stem up to crown break. ? To improve the level of light filtering underneath the croApproved9 Sept 2026
- De Vere Horsley Estate, Ockham Road South, East Horsley, Leatherhead, KT24 6DUDischarge of Condition 3 (electric vehicle charging points), of planning permission 26/P/00718 approved 30/07/26Refused8 Sept 2026
- 22 Elles Avenue, Guildford, GU1 2QHApplication under Section 73 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to vary condition 2 (approved plans) of planning permission 23/P/0084Approved8 Sept 2026
Built nightly from Guildford's planning register. Ranks are among the 321 published councils. See planning applications in Guildford, appeals, or get alerts for Guildford.
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.