Planning permission in Buckinghamshire

In the last 12 months, 90.5% of home project applications were approved in Buckinghamshire (42 decided): extensions, loft conversions and similar work. A typical home project decision takes about eleven weeks (median 74 days).

Across all application types, 87.4% of 6,842 applications decided since January 2023 were approved. Based on Buckinghamshire's public planning register. Data last updated: 2 August 2026.

9,001Total applications

6,842Decided

87.4%Approval rate (of decided)

5,977 Approved+865 Refused+487 Withdrawn+270 Pending+1,402 Outcome not determined=9,001 Total

Reports for Buckinghamshire are coming soon.

We are not yet generating property reports for Buckinghamshire. You can still look up an address to see its planning constraints (conservation area, listed building, Article 4 direction, flood zone), and leave your email to hear when Buckinghamshire reports go live.

Look up a property in Buckinghamshire See a sample report

Decision Level

5,418Delegated

27Committee

By Development Category

All applications on record, not only the last 12 months.

Category	Decided	Approved	Refused	Approval rate
Full planning applications	3,167	2,811	356	88.8%
Discharging planning conditions	644	642	2	99.7%
Protected tree works (TPO)	570	512	58	89.8%
Certificate of lawfulness (confirming permitted development)	548	371	177	67.7%
Tree works in a conservation area	368	368	0	outcome not determined
Changing a planning condition (S73)	289	269	20	93.1%
Listed Building Consent	283	254	29	89.8%
Minor amendment to an approved scheme (S96a)	191	153	38	80.1%
Larger extensions (householder prior approval)	174	128	46	73.6%
Certificate of lawfulness (existing use)	86	53	33	61.6%
Advertisement Consent	73	66	7	90.4%
Prior approval (permitted development)	66	46	20	69.7%
Change of Use	60	38	22	63.3%
Home extensions and alterations (householder)	56	45	11	80.4%
Outline Planning	41	29	12	70.7%
HS2 Application	38	38	0	no refusals recorded
Development by Statutory Undertaker	34	32	2	94.1%
Application to modify or discharge POA	21	21	0	no refusals recorded
Other*	133	101	32	mixed types

Tree works in a conservation area: 389 applications where we could not determine the outcome from the data we hold, so no approval rate is shown.

HS2 Application: no refusals are recorded in this category for this authority, so no approval rate is shown.

Application to modify or discharge POA: no refusals are recorded in this category for this authority, so no approval rate is shown.

* Other combines smaller categories: Prior Appr: Part 03 Class G/MA-use C3 (18), Phone masts and telecoms (16), Permission in Principle (10), Consultation from Adjoining Authority (9), Prior Appr: Part 14, Class J/K/OA-solar (8), Overhead Lines (8), Environmental impact screening and scoping (7), Demolition (7), Reserved matters (detail after outline approval) (5), Solar Photovoltaics (PV) Equipment (5), Mod & Discharge of Legal Agreement (5), Adding storeys (prior approval, Class AA) (5), Hedgerow Removal (5), Reg 3, Councils app, Council owned land (4), Bedgrove applications (3), Prior Appr: Part 03 Class R-use to mixed (3), Consultation - Adjacent Authority/Area (3), Technical Details Consent (3), Barn to home conversion (prior approval, Class Q) (2), Prior Appr: Part 4 Class CA-temp school (1), Prior Appr: Part 20 Class AB-dwellings (1), Hazardous Substances Consent (1), Development Consent Order (1), Conservation (1), Agri - further details required (1).

Quarterly Trend

The most recent three years. Earlier decisions are included in the totals above but not in this chart.

Quarter	Decided	Approved	Approval rate
Q3 2023	497	439	88.3%
Q4 2023	1,121	988	88.1%
Q1 2024	1,055	891	84.5%
Q2 2024	787	678	86.1%
Q3 2024	374	317	84.8%
Q4 2024	266	223	83.8%
Q1 2025	206	178	86.4%
Q2 2025	191	166	86.9%
Q3 2025	207	180	87.0%
Q4 2025	66	53	80.3%
Q1 2026	17	14	sample too small
Q2 2026	1	1	sample too small
Q3 2026 (quarter in progress)	22	22	100.0%

By Ward

The 12 wards with the most decided applications, across all years. 478 further decided applications fall in wards not shown.

Among wards with at least 20 decided applications, approval rates range from 82.7% in FORMER GREAT BRICKHILL to 96.1% in Abbey, a gap of 13.4 percentage points.

Ward	Decided	Approved	Refused	Approval rate
Former Gerrards Cross	277	254	23	91.7%
Marlow	248	221	27	89.1%
Former Beaconsfield	245	230	15	93.9%
FORMER BERNWOOD	241	221	20	91.7%
FORMER GREAT BRICKHILL	226	187	39	82.7%
Former Chalfont St Giles	211	186	25	88.2%
FORMER WINSLOW	194	161	33	83.0%
FORMER STONE AND WADDESDON	192	181	11	94.3%
Flackwell Heath and The Wooburns	191	165	26	86.4%
Abbey	178	171	7	96.1%
Chiltern Villages	171	151	20	88.3%
Former Stoke Poges & Wexham	168	139	29	82.7%

Frequently asked questions

What is the planning approval rate in Buckinghamshire?

In the last 12 months, 90.5% of home project applications (extensions, loft conversions and similar work) were approved in Buckinghamshire, based on 42 decided applications. Across all application types, 87.4% of 6,842 applications decided since January 2023 were approved.

How long does a planning decision take in Buckinghamshire?

The median time from submission to decision for home project applications decided in Buckinghamshire in the last 12 months was 74 days (about eleven weeks). Times vary case by case.

Do I need planning permission in Buckinghamshire?

It depends on the project and the property. Many home projects fall under permitted development rights, but constraints such as conservation areas, listed buildings and Article 4 directions change what needs permission at a specific address. See our guides to permitted development rights and Article 4 directions.

Do I need a planning consultant in Buckinghamshire?

Many home projects do not need one. A straightforward extension on an unconstrained property is often handled directly with the council, or with an architect or agent preparing the drawings. A consultant is more likely to earn their fee where the site is constrained, the council has refused similar schemes, or an appeal is in prospect. Understanding your property's constraints and the council's recent decisions first makes any conversation with a professional a better-informed one.

Planning guides

Not sure what you can build without planning permission? See our guides to permitted development rights, Article 4 directions and planning costs.

Reports for Buckinghamshire are coming soon. Look up an address now to see its constraints, and join the waitlist.

Look up a property in Buckinghamshire See a sample report