Planning permission in East Devon
The decisions this council published on its planning register over the last 24 months, as held in our planning data: 490 applications decided, 91% approved. Data as of 2026-07-17.
This register does not publish received dates for enough of its applications, so we do not show decision times for it. Counts and the approval rate are unaffected.
86 applications were withdrawn before a decision; they are not counted in the approval rate.
By application type
| Application type | Decided | Approved | Median days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full applications | 171 | 92% (157) | Not published |
| Discharge of conditions | 137 | 98% (134) | Not published |
| Tree works | 92 | 95% (87) | Not published |
| Outline applications | 39 | 64% (25) | Not published |
| Listed building and heritage | 31 | 97% (30) | Not published |
The headline approval rate blends every type above, so read the row for the work you have in mind: discharge of conditions approve far more readily than outline applications here.
Nearby authorities
| Authority | Decided | Approved | Median days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exeter | 1,290 | 89% | 49 |
| Mid Devon | 1,990 | 93% | 55 |
| Teignbridge | 1,280 | 85% | Not published |
| Taunton Deane | 1,448 | 89% | 55 |
The official decision periods
The statutory time limits are 8 weeks for most applications, 13 weeks for major development and 16 weeks where an Environmental Impact Assessment applies, under article 34 of the Development Management Procedure Order 2015. Government policy adds that no application should spend more than a year with decision makers, including any appeal.
GOV.UK: Determining a planning application (MHCLG guidance) (opens in new tab)Planning authorities aim to decide local developments within 2 months and major developments within 4 months. If the decision takes longer, you can appeal.
mygov.scot: Planning permission, what happens next (opens in new tab)The determination period is 8 weeks from the date the local planning authority received a valid application, under article 22 of the Development Management Procedure (Wales) Order 2012.
Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (Wales) Order 2012, article 22 (opens in new tab)The council should decide your application within 8 weeks, though large or complex applications can take longer. If it is not determined within 8 weeks you can appeal to the Planning Appeals Commission.
nidirect: Making a planning decision (opens in new tab)What each number means
Decisions
Approved plus refused decisions published on the council's planning register in the period shown. It counts what the register we read published, which can be less than everything the council handled.
Approval rate
The share of decided applications that were approved. Withdrawn applications sit outside this number: withdrawing is the applicant's act, not the council's decision.
Median decision time
The middle application, measured in days from the date the register says the council received it to the date it decided it. Half were faster, half slower. Councils and applicants can lawfully agree more time, so elapsed days beyond a target are not automatically a breach of it.
Decided within 8 weeks
The share of dated decisions made within 56 days of the received date on the register. 8 weeks is the decision period most standard applications start with; agreed extensions can lawfully move it.
Withdrawn
Applications the applicant withdrew before a decision. Shown separately and never counted in the approval rate.
Planning a project here?
Check whether you need planning permission at all, see approval odds by project type, or find architects with a real approval track record. Compare all authorities.
Common questions
How long does planning permission take in East Devon?
This register does not publish received dates for enough of its applications, so we do not show decision times for it. Counts and the approval rate are unaffected. East Devon decided 490 applications in the period we hold.
What share of planning applications does East Devon approve?
91% of the 490 decided applications we hold were approved, across all application types on the register. For full applications alone it is 92% (157 of 171). Withdrawn applications sit outside these numbers.
Do these figures match the council's official statistics?
Not exactly, and they are not meant to. These figures are computed from the planning register entries we hold for each council, refreshed continuously from the public registers. They describe published register data, not the council's official performance statistics, and coverage per council can differ from the register's own totals. Always confirm requirements for your own project with your council before applying. Official statistics also count decisions made within an agreed extension of time as on time, so our elapsed-day figures can read slower than the official measure.
These figures are computed from the planning register entries we hold for each council, refreshed continuously from the public registers. They describe published register data, not the council's official performance statistics, and coverage per council can differ from the register's own totals. Always confirm requirements for your own project with your council before applying.
More ways to check who to trust
Free, independent checks. No ads, no paid placement.
- Do I Need Planning Permission?
Whether your project needs planning permission, with the rules cited and your council's real record.
- Planning Approval Rate
How often a firm's planning applications get approved.
- Planning Finder
Planning applications and the architects behind them, by postcode.