Homeowners in Portsmouth wait 10.2 weeks for planning permission, over the statutory eight
A ready-to-publish local data pack on planning decision times in Portsmouth. Everything on this page is free to use with attribution to PlanningLens.
Figures from the 9 July 2026 data export·
10.2 wks
Average decision time, 2025
47th
slowest of 146 ranked
42%
took over 8 weeks
258
Decisions analysed
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Local figures
Householder planning applications in Portsmouth took an average of 10.2 weeks to decide in 2025, according to analysis of council planning records by the planning data firm PlanningLens. That is the 47th slowest of the 146 British councils with enough decisions to rank. The statutory period is eight weeks. Of the 258 decisions analysed, 42% took longer than eight weeks. The picture is improving: in 2020 the average was 13.6 weeks.
National context
Across England, the average planning application takes 10.7 weeks from validation to decision, according to PlanningLens analysis of 2,094,240 decided applications across 209 English councils, and 90% of councils (189 of 209) take longer than the statutory eight weeks on average. Official figures look healthier because an application still counts as decided on time if the council persuades the applicant to sign an extension of time agreement first. The full analysis, with league tables for every council and project type, is free at planninglens.co.uk/how-long-does-planning-permission-take.html.
Quote
“Homeowners are told the answer is eight weeks. In Portsmouth the measured answer is 10.2 weeks. None of this is hidden: it sits in the council’s own planning portal, application by application. We have simply added it up,” said Mark Broome, founder of PlanningLens.
May be used as supplied.
Decision times by project type
Application type
Average
Over 8 weeks
Decisions
Loft conversions
12.3 wks
53%
79
Single-storey extensions
9.1 wks
37%
155
Householder application types with at least 50 decided applications in 2025. Averages are validation date to decision date.
Notes for editors
How these figures are produced
PlanningLens measures validation date to decision date, per application, from each council’s own planning portal. Named local figures cover householder applications (extensions, lofts and similar) decided in 2025; councils are ranked only where at least 50 such decisions were available. National context figures cover all application types. Full method: planninglens.co.uk/how-long-does-planning-permission-take.html#method.
Using this pack
Everything on this page is free to publish with attribution to PlanningLens and a link to the full analysis. Text and data are licensed CC BY 4.0. The quote from Mark Broome may be used as supplied.
Interviews, custom data cuts or checks: hello@planninglens.co.uk. Figures from the 9 July 2026 data export; the live analysis regenerates with every data update.
Homeowners in Portsmouth wait 10.2 weeks for planning permission, over the statutory eight
Householder planning applications in Portsmouth took an average of 10.2 weeks to decide in 2025, according to analysis of council planning records by the planning data firm PlanningLens. That is the 47th slowest of the 146 British councils with enough decisions to rank. The statutory period is eight weeks. Of the 258 decisions analysed, 42% took longer than eight weeks. The picture is improving: in 2020 the average was 13.6 weeks.
Across England, the average planning application takes 10.7 weeks from validation to decision, according to PlanningLens analysis of 2,094,240 decided applications across 209 English councils, and 90% of councils (189 of 209) take longer than the statutory eight weeks on average. Official figures look healthier because an application still counts as decided on time if the council persuades the applicant to sign an extension of time agreement first. The full analysis, with league tables for every council and project type, is free at planninglens.co.uk/how-long-does-planning-permission-take.html.
“Homeowners are told the answer is eight weeks. In Portsmouth the measured answer is 10.2 weeks. None of this is hidden: it sits in the council’s own planning portal, application by application. We have simply added it up,” said Mark Broome, founder of PlanningLens.