Retrospective applications: planning trends
Councils received 19,421 retrospective applications in the year to September 2026, slightly more than the 18,296 in 2016, but their share is up by half.
Retrospective applications since 2016
Retrospective applications in every 10,000 planning applications, over the 12 months to each month
How this is measuredSteady count, rising share
Councils received between 17,032 and 20,532 retrospective applications each year from 2016 to 2025. All applications fell, so their share rose from 291 in every 10,000 to 445. The retrospective planning index stands at 154: half as much again as the 2016 share.
Scotland highest, London lowest
From 2023 to 2025, retrospective applications made up 612 in every 10,000 in Scotland and 586 in the North East, against 427 across the UK. London was lowest on 321. North Yorkshire leads all councils with 3,261 since 2016, followed by Leeds with 2,911.
Q3 2026 against a year earlier
Councils received 4,628 retrospective applications in Q3 2026: 450 in every 10,000 applications, against 470 in Q3 2025, a share of all applications 4% lower than a year earlier.
Retrospective applications each quarter
4,628 in Q3 2026, against 5,138 a year earlier.
Out of every 10,000 applications
As a share of every application: 450 in every 10,000 in Q3 2026, against 470 a year earlier.
Where retrospective applications concentrate
By region
Retrospective applications in every 10,000 planning applications, 2023 to 2025
Councils with the most
Applications since 2016
-
North Yorkshire
Yorkshire and Humber · 484 in every 10,000 3,261 -
Leeds
Yorkshire and Humber · 493 in every 10,000 2,911 -
Wiltshire
South West · 399 in every 10,000 2,266 -
City of Edinburgh
Scotland · 415 in every 10,000 2,063 -
Somerset
South West · 346 in every 10,000 1,978 -
East Riding of Yorkshire
Yorkshire and Humber · 646 in every 10,000 1,923 - Maidstone and Swale (shared register)
South East · 625 in every 10,000 1,849 -
West Northamptonshire
East Midlands · 515 in every 10,000 1,829 -
City of Bradford
Yorkshire and Humber · 445 in every 10,000 1,795 -
Aberdeenshire
Scotland · 695 in every 10,000 1,692
Latest retrospective applications
- Land At Grid Reference 245331 127914 Chircombe Lane Northam Devon Retrospective advertisement application for the erection of a non illuminated sales board for a temporary period of 5 months.
- 18 North Avenue, North Harrow, Harrow Use of dwelling as a five Bedroom, five Person House in Multiple Occupation (Class C4) (retrospective)
- 58 Forest Park Stonehaven Erection of Fence (Retrospective)
- Land East of 30 School Road Marshland St James Norfolk Retrospective formation of a new access
- 1 And 2 Brockhurst Cottages Salisbury Lane Over Wallop Stockbridge Hampshire To create two separate dwellings from one single dwelling (Retrospective)
- 1 Dallas Road London Single storey rear extension (Retrospective Application)
How often are they refused?
Of 150,808 received 2016 to 2024 and decided, 17.8% were refused, well above the 11.3% for all applications.
Refusal rate by year
Decisions, applications received 2016 to 2024
- Approved or refused150,808
- Refused17.8%
- Withdrawn before a decision7,483
- All applications11.3% refused
Questions
How many retrospective planning applications are there in the UK?
Councils have received 205,928 since January 2016, 19,421 of them in the 12 months to September 2026. Their share peaked in the 12 months to March 2026.
Where are the most retrospective applications made?
North Yorkshire, Leeds and Wiltshire have received the most since 2016.
How often are retrospective applications refused?
Of 150,808 received 2016 to 2024 and decided, 17.8% were refused, well above the 11.3% for all applications.
Has the time limit for planning enforcement changed?
In England, yes. For building work substantially completed on or after 25 April 2024, councils have 10 years to take enforcement action, up from 4. Wales and Scotland kept the 4-year limit.
About Plota
Plota is the UK's most visited planning search, according to Similarweb. It shows every new planning application from every UK council, read daily from 390 planning registers, with past applications back to 2016 from more than 420 registers, including those of councils since merged. It also covers planning committee decisions, HMO licences and premises licences.
How this is measured
What needs an application
These figures count applications made retrospectively: requests for planning permission for work already carried out.
Methodology
- What is counted: planning applications to UK councils whose description names retrospective applications or a close variant of the words, by the date each council received them. These are planning applications, not completed schemes; the largest energy and infrastructure projects are consented nationally rather than by councils, so they sit outside these counts.
- How matches are checked: we read the 200 most recent retrospective applications and 20 from every year since 2016 to confirm each one belongs.
- Topic counts leave out, by design, works to trees and applications that only discharge conditions, amend an earlier permission or approve reserved matters, which follow a scheme already counted. Everything else is counted.
- A share is the number out of every 10,000 applications over the previous 12 months. Each topic is a number in every 10,000 planning applications, so trends compare when overall planning activity changes; the share still moves when either the topic's count or the total does. The retrospective planning index sets the 2016 share at 100, so 200 means twice as common as in 2016.
- Source: the planning registers of every UK council, January 2016 to September 2026, read on 9 November 2026.
- Planning is seasonal, so each quarter is compared with the same quarter a year earlier.
- Year on year: each topic's and theme's share of all applications in Q3 2026, against Q3 2025, at every council we hold. A share is the number in every 10,000 applications. Shares compare across councils and years; raw counts do not.
- Left out of the topic shares: Birmingham's applications from June to September 2026: a validation backlog at the council since June 2026: of 685 reference numbers it issued in September, its register lists 288. The same months a year earlier are left out too, so every comparison covers the same councils.
- Refusals: applications received 2016 to 2024 and decided, at councils whose published decisions pass our checks against their decision notices. Approvals and refusals count; withdrawals do not. "All applications" means every decision of that kind at the same councils over the same years. Applications received from 2025 are added once most are decided.
- Download the data (CSV): every topic and theme, each quarter since 2016.
Sources
- Section 115 of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 extended the England enforcement time limit for operational development to 10 years, while Wales stays at 4. legislation.gov.uk
- The 10-year limit applies in England to development substantially completed on or after 25 April 2024. gov.uk
- Scotland keeps a 4-year limit for operational development. legislation.gov.uk