Planning decisions in Watford
How long Watford takes to decide a planning application and how many it approves, from the 459 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.
49 daysmedian from validation to decision (UK 52); 51 from receipt
88%decided within eight weeks (UK 73%), 98% within thirteen
79%approved (UK 89%): 315 approved, 82 refused, 4 withdrawn
80 of 322UK rank for speed, up 12 places on last year; 299 of 322 for approvals
By kind of application
| Kind | Median days | Within 8 weeks | Approved | Decisions | UK rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Householder applications | 52 | 87% | 77% | 138 | 37 of 158 |
| Lawful development certificates | 40 | 93% | 89% | 81 | 50 of 256 |
| Full applications | 56 | 69% | 67% | 57 | 116 of 298 |
| Prior approvals | 31 | 100% | 31% | 55 | 49 of 174 |
| Tree works | 41 | 100% | 100% | 39 | 151 of 261 |
| Amendments | 25 | 93% | 83% | 29 | 29 of 271 |
| Advertisement consent * | 51 | 100% | 100% | 20 | 52 of 192 |
Delegated or committee
| Route | Share | Median days | Approved | Decisions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delegated to officers | 99% | 49 | 79% | 450 |
| Planning committee | 1% | 85 | 80% | 5 |
Where the register states how the decision was made. 4 decisions did not say.
Appeals
44 appeals against Watford decisions were decided by the Planning Inspectorate in the window, 54 for every 100 refusals; 39% were allowed. Every appeal in Watford.
By year
| Year decided | Median days | Within 8 weeks | Approved | Decisions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 * | 57 | 45% | 93% | 29 |
| 2017 * | 53 | 61% | 98% | 142 |
| 2018 * | 57 | 49% | 88% | 62 |
| 2019 * | 56 | 52% | 98% | 127 |
| 2020 * | 73 | 38% | 97% | 143 |
| 2021 * | 51 | 82% | 79% | 28 |
| 2022 * | 52 | 78% | 78% | 46 |
| 2023 * | 28 | 87% | 98% | 92 |
| 2024 * | 41 | 94% | 99% | 70 |
| 2025 * | 57 | 49% | 100% | 47 |
| 2026 so far | 51 | 69% | 79% | 459 |
* 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
- 1 - 3 Euston Avenue Watford Hertfordshire WD18 7SZChange of use of from Single Maisonette with internal alterations to provide 2 x 1 Bedroom residential units (Class C3) with associated bindue 24 Aug 2026
- 123 Tudor Walk Watford Hertfordshire WD24 7NZDemolition of existing outbuilding and rebuild outbuilding for storage, gym and family gatherings.due 28 Aug 2026
- 268 Hempstead Road Watford WD17 4LYErection of a detached single-storey outbuilding to the rear of the property, with a footprint of 3 metres by 10 metres, to be used for purpdue 28 Aug 2026
Decided in the last three weeks
- 32 Widgeon Way Watford WD25 9UGPart retrospective application for alterations to previously approved plans for single storey rear extension, part single and part double stApproved10 Sept 2026
- 53 Ridge Lane Watford WD17 4SXWorks to tree - Walnut T14 and Blue Cedar T15 under TPO. 74 to remove branches encroaching onto the roof and public pathway on the road.Approved9 Sept 2026
- 28 Oakdene Road Watford WD24 6RWErection of first floor rear extensionApproved8 Sept 2026
- 88 High Road Watford WD25 7LJRetrospective planning application for timber framed cantilevered garden barbecue canopy with roof tiles to match existingApproved8 Sept 2026
- 39 The Ridgeway Watford WD17 4THProposed roof alteration and conversion of loft into habitable room with roof lights.Approved8 Sept 2026
- 117 Langley Way Watford WD17 3EDDemolition of existing side garage, construction of a 2 storey side extension and single storey rear extension. Installation of 2 Velux windApproved8 Sept 2026
- 157 Cassiobury Drive Watford WD17 3ALProposed roof alteration involving double hip-to-gable conversion; erection of a rear crown-roof dormer; erection of a front dormer; installApproved8 Sept 2026
- 106 Woodland Drive Watford WD17 3LBErection of a double storey side, single storey rear and front porch extensions with roof lights.Approved8 Sept 2026
Built nightly from Watford's planning register. Ranks are among the 322 published councils. See planning applications in Watford, appeals, or get alerts for Watford.
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.