Only 63% of applications for planning permission are accepted in Barking and Dagenham, making it the worst region across England.
In second and third come the fellow London areas of Greenwich (67%) and Hounslow (68%) – while they compare to a national average of 88%, analysis from Yell.com has found.
A number of people are considering upgrading their existing properties rather than going through a costly move, research from TSB found that two in five (41%) homeowners would prefer to build an extension than move house.
Application time
If you’re applying in Bristol, only 62% of decisions are made on time, so be prepared for a potentially longer waiting period.
This is followed by St Albans (65%) and Runnymeade (73%). The planning guarantee is the government’s policy that no application should spend more than a year with decision makers, including any appeal.
In practice, this means that major planning applications should be decided in no more than 26 weeks, and non-major applications within 16 weeks.
