Planning performance

Planning application statistics

Key outcomes on planning application statistics are provided below:

It includes:

  • types of application
  • the average time taken to determine applications
  • number of applications approved
  • and enforcement activity

Planning applications statistics do not solely reflect the performance of the planning system. The complexity of planning applications often requires specialised input, which means that various factors can influence timelines.

We encourage applicants to work with us in order to make applications acceptable in planning terms rather than just refusing them at the outset, which can sometimes extend determination timescales.

Planning applications determined - Financial Year 2026/27

Average time to decision (weeks) Target Q2 (July to Sept 2025) Q3 (Oct to Dec 2025) Q4 (Jan to Mar 2026) Q1 (Apr to June 2026)
Local householder applications 11 weeks 13.7 weeks 10.7 weeks 8.6 weeks 9.3 weeks
Local (non-householder) applications 10 weeks 27.9 weeks 20.7 weeks 24.2 weeks 18.1 weeks
Other applications 9 weeks 17.6 weeks 16.8 weeks 12.5 weeks 30.3 weeks

Total Number of Decisions and percentage within agreed timescales

Quarter 1 Total Number of Decisions % within agreed timescales
Local developments (Householder) - Total 120 -
Decisions in less than 2 months: 103 85.83
Decisions in more than 2 months: 17 14.17
Local developments (Non-householder) - Total 360 -
Decisions in less than 2 months: 190 52.78
Decisions in more than 2 months: 170 47.22
All Local Developments - Total 480 -
Decisions in less than 2 months: 293 61.04
Decisions in more than 2 months: 187 38.96
Other Consents - Total 78 -
Decisions in less than 2 months: 65 83.33

Percentage of local planning applications dealt with within 2 months

Bar chart showing number of local planning applications dealth within two months for quarter 1 2026 2027

National statistics

The Scottish Government publishes regular statistics on planning application decisions and timescales for all planning authorities.

You can view our performance on the Scottish Government website.

Page last modified: 10 July 2026