Planning decisions in Suffolk County Council
How long Suffolk County Council takes to decide a planning application and how many it approves, from the 129 decisions it made in the twelve months to September 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.
54 daysmedian from validation to decision (UK 54); 62 from receipt
52%decided within eight weeks (UK 66%), 74% within thirteen
98%approved (UK 90%): 119 approved, 2 refused, 2 withdrawn
211 of 388UK rank for speed; 15 of 388 for approvals
By kind of application
| Kind | Median days | Within 8 weeks | Approved | Decisions | UK rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Discharge of conditions | 54 | 52% | 98% | 97 | 183 of 310 |
| Amendments * | 35 | 65% | 100% | 17 | 93 of 356 |
By year
| Year decided | Median days | Within 8 weeks | Approved | Decisions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 so far | 71 | 41% | 98% | 106 |
Decided in the last three weeks
- Stowmarket High School, Onehouse Road, Stowmarket, IP14 1QRNon-Material Amendment application to permission SCC/0058/25MS for changes to the courtyard's paving and seating arrangements, and the proviApproved21 Oct 2026
- A12 between Junctions 58 (Seven Hills) and Woods Lane Roundabout, Woodbridge, SuffolkTransport improvements to the A12 from Junction 58 (Seven Hills, Ipswich) to Woods Lane Roundabout, Woodbridge including the upgrade from aApproved20 Oct 2026
- Henham Quarry, Henham, Beccles, NR34 8ANNon-Material Amendment application for the installation of a concrete batching plant to permission SCC/0214/17W/VOC for Variation of ConditiApproved15 Oct 2026
- Land off Station Road (New Primary School) Lakenheath IP27 9JEDischarge of Conditions 11. Landscape and ecology management plan, 14. Fire hydrants and 25. Off-site highway improvement works. For planninApproved14 Oct 2026
Built nightly from Suffolk County Council's planning register. Ranks are among the 388 published councils. See planning applications in Suffolk County Council, appeals, or get alerts for Suffolk County Council.
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 Withdrawn and undecided applications are not timed.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.