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Chelmsford

East of England · E07000070 · 189 quarters held (1979 Q2 – 2026 Q2)

Decisions
1,209
2025 Q3 – 2026 Q2
Refusal rate
12.9%
higher than 57% of authorities
Majors in time
66.7%
threshold 60%
Minors in time
79.9%
threshold 70%
Householder in time
93.5%
no formal threshold
Delegated
98.8%
decisions not to committee
Appellant win rate
26.2%
98 allowed of 374 decided
Decisions overturned
1.2%
quality threshold 10%

Refusal rate trend — last 40 quarters

2016 Q3 → 2026 Q2 · peak 25.3%

Official statistics — is development moving through the system?

MHCLG quarterly planning returns (PS1/PS2), last 4 quarters 2025 Q3 to 2026 Q2, and the government's latest Housing Delivery Test. These are the authority's own statutory returns, not our scrape.

Applications received
1,265
in the window
Applications decided
1,209
in the window
Approval rate
87.1%
1,053 granted, 156 refused · national median refusal 11.6%
Refusal rate rank 102 of 164 district councils (1 = fewest refusals) · peer median 11.4%
Decided within time
89.9%
rank 180 of 307 reporting authorities · national median 91.4%
Rank 98 of 164 district councils · peer median 91.9%

Peer ranks compare only district councils with more than 50 decisions in the window, the same floor as the national rank. A rank among peers is the fairer read: types of authority carry very different caseloads.

Performance by development type
TypeDecisionsApprovedIn time
Major2290.9%66.7%
Minor30281.1%79.9%
Other88589.0%—
of which householder72990.0%93.5%
"In time" = within the statutory period or an agreed extension, excluding prior approvals. "Other" covers everything that is neither major nor minor; householder figures are measured against the 8-week period.
Applications through the system
Last 8 quarters held
01983962024 Q3: 311 received2024 Q3: 317 decided2024 Q32024 Q4: 303 received2024 Q4: 312 decided2025 Q1: 396 received2025 Q1: 294 decided2025 Q2: 297 received2025 Q2: 386 decided2025 Q3: 303 received2025 Q3: 308 decided2025 Q4: 300 received2025 Q4: 303 decided2026 Q1: 343 received2026 Q1: 307 decided2026 Q2: 319 received2026 Q2: 291 decided2026 Q2
▬ received   ▬ decided
Housing Delivery Test
HDT 2025 measurement, homes delivered against requirement over 2022/23 to 2024/25
110%
No consequence

Delivery at or above 95%: no HDT consequence.

Where these figures come from. Each dataset below is the publisher's own file, loaded unchanged; rows are matched to this authority by its ONS code (E07000070). Missing values are shown as "—" and are never estimated or filled from another period.
DatasetPublisherCovers this authorityLoadedOfficial source
Planning application decisions (PS2)MHCLG1979 Q2 to 2026 Q2 (189 quarters)18 Oct 2026 · 68,583 rows nationallyLive tables
Planning application flow (PS1)MHCLG1979 Q2 to 2026 Q2 (189 quarters)18 Oct 2026 · 42,861 rows nationallyLive tables
Housing Delivery Test 2025MHCLG2022/23 to 2024/2518 Aug 2026Measurement
Open Government Licence v3.0. The MHCLG tables are reloaded every Sunday; the loaded date is the last successful run.

Quarterly history

QuarterDecisions GrantedRefused Refusal %Majors in time Minors in timeReceived
2026 Q2 291 244 47 16.2% 100.0% 80.5% 319
2026 Q1 307 255 52 16.9% — 82.2% 343
2025 Q4 303 279 24 7.9% 0.0% 76.1% 300
2025 Q3 308 275 33 10.7% 66.7% 80.9% 303
2025 Q2 386 327 59 15.3% 100.0% 81.5% 297
2025 Q1 294 244 50 17.0% 100.0% 89.7% 396
2024 Q4 312 265 47 15.1% 50.0% 80.9% 303
2024 Q3 317 274 43 13.6% 75.0% 86.4% 311
2024 Q2 313 253 60 19.2% 0.0% 94.2% 324
2024 Q1 340 254 86 25.3% 75.0% 91.8% 353
2023 Q4 376 283 93 24.7% — 88.6% 357
2023 Q3 394 311 83 21.1% 100.0% 80.0% 383
2023 Q2 422 347 75 17.8% 50.0% 80.0% 400
2023 Q1 363 289 74 20.4% 100.0% 74.0% 442
2022 Q4 368 284 84 22.8% 0.0% 60.8% 358
2022 Q3 425 337 88 20.7% 100.0% 95.9% 413
2022 Q2 460 387 73 15.9% 100.0% 83.3% 454
2022 Q1 408 342 66 16.2% 75.0% 89.7% 491
2021 Q4 450 369 81 18.0% 100.0% 85.5% 429
2021 Q3 523 454 69 13.2% 50.0% 91.2% 464
2021 Q2 558 501 57 10.2% 66.7% 94.2% 520
2021 Q1 434 373 61 14.1% 50.0% 95.9% 572
2020 Q4 479 414 65 13.6% 66.7% 79.1% 483
2020 Q3 431 368 63 14.6% 50.0% 67.2% 453
2020 Q2 383 339 44 11.5% 50.0% 87.3% 372
2020 Q1 354 297 57 16.1% 85.7% 89.1% 436
2019 Q4 356 302 54 15.2% 100.0% 88.2% 379
2019 Q3 448 383 65 14.5% 71.4% 90.4% 417
2019 Q2 517 452 65 12.6% 100.0% 89.0% 535
2019 Q1 388 333 55 14.2% 33.3% 72.8% 444
2018 Q4 359 307 52 14.5% 100.0% 87.0% 358
2018 Q3 444 387 57 12.8% 100.0% 81.3% 417
2018 Q2 489 430 59 12.1% 57.1% 91.4% 477
2018 Q1 420 367 53 12.6% 100.0% 93.9% 504
2017 Q4 431 388 43 10.0% 100.0% 89.0% 392
2017 Q3 454 408 46 10.1% 100.0% 94.6% 452
2017 Q2 518 480 38 7.3% 71.4% 88.2% 494
2017 Q1 434 393 41 9.4% 88.9% 88.7% 529
2016 Q4 459 415 44 9.6% 85.7% 86.2% 456
2016 Q3 507 468 39 7.7% 80.0% 88.9% 471
2016 Q2 497 458 39 7.8% 75.0% 91.8% 552
2016 Q1 402 368 34 8.5% 100.0% 92.1% 470
2015 Q4 408 371 37 9.1% 100.0% 87.4% 451
2015 Q3 485 449 36 7.4% 83.3% 89.4% 499
2015 Q2 449 419 30 6.7% 66.7% 81.1% 505
2015 Q1 354 333 21 5.9% 80.0% 93.3% 506
2014 Q4 441 402 39 8.8% 50.0% 85.6% 446
2014 Q3 447 406 41 9.2% 60.0% 87.0% 501
2014 Q2 456 436 20 4.4% 100.0% 80.2% 456
2014 Q1 386 321 31 8.0% 60.0% 90.7% 511
2013 Q4 424 372 30 7.1% 80.0% 87.4% 450
2013 Q3 435 353 42 9.7% 50.0% 81.3% 429
2013 Q2 422 367 23 5.5% 37.5% 80.3% 456
2013 Q1 364 310 33 9.1% 50.0% 73.1% 396
2012 Q4 366 303 35 9.6% 55.6% 84.4% 387
2012 Q3 442 371 35 7.9% 75.0% 84.7% 405
2012 Q2 463 388 48 10.4% 66.7% 86.7% 478
2012 Q1 417 346 42 10.1% 80.0% 86.1% 496
2011 Q4 404 357 25 6.2% 100.0% 88.9% 423
2011 Q3 480 400 45 9.4% 58.3% 88.0% 473
2011 Q2 482 412 38 7.9% 100.0% 88.0% 487
2011 Q1 391 329 40 10.2% 60.0% 84.5% 495
2010 Q4 391 321 50 12.8% 57.1% 83.3% 422
2010 Q3 479 400 48 10.0% 42.9% 89.4% 466
2010 Q2 475 385 63 13.3% 80.0% 92.4% 513
2010 Q1 407 321 57 14.0% 75.0% 89.6% 478
2009 Q4 387 313 48 12.4% 50.0% 90.8% 436
2009 Q3 451 386 34 7.5% 100.0% 87.9% 422
2009 Q2 403 335 33 8.2% 83.3% 85.1% 477
2009 Q1 356 300 32 9.0% 70.0% 93.9% 405
2008 Q4 429 369 51 11.9% 87.5% 79.5% 394
2008 Q3 455 385 52 11.4% 100.0% 82.4% 493
2008 Q2 564 452 89 15.8% 75.0% 81.7% 519
2008 Q1 532 434 84 15.8% 85.7% 82.9% 595
2007 Q4 509 384 112 22.0% 81.8% 83.5% 557
2007 Q3 571 457 88 15.4% 73.7% 85.2% 586
2007 Q2 613 489 107 17.5% 82.4% 83.5% 615
2007 Q1 550 452 87 15.8% 70.0% 86.1% 641
2006 Q4 463 384 66 14.3% 81.8% 86.1% 560
2006 Q3 603 486 88 14.6% 87.5% 82.1% 581
2006 Q2 577 446 112 19.4% 76.9% 92.1% 619
2006 Q1 512 395 96 18.8% 90.0% 83.5% 661
2005 Q4 495 373 102 20.6% 75.0% 88.1% 548
2005 Q3 541 439 91 16.8% 73.3% 85.5% 528
2005 Q2 584 453 118 20.2% 30.0% 89.3% 626
2005 Q1 529 424 92 17.4% 33.3% 80.0% 597
2004 Q4 547 422 117 21.4% 60.0% 69.4% 545
2004 Q3 665 537 117 17.6% 80.0% 80.6% 630
2004 Q2 647 525 109 16.8% 87.5% 80.6% 710
2004 Q1 495 409 81 16.4% 63.6% 90.6% 660
2003 Q4 585 470 105 17.9% 50.0% 80.8% 508
2003 Q3 628 539 81 12.9% 50.0% 77.3% 549
2003 Q2 618 535 77 12.5% 66.7% 66.7% 690
2003 Q1 545 455 85 15.6% 16.7% 68.0% 583
2002 Q4 499 410 77 15.4% 33.3% 66.4% 550
2002 Q3 619 516 89 14.4% 0.0% 60.3% 565
2002 Q2 574 499 67 11.7% 41.7% 47.5% 586
2002 Q1 528 448 70 13.3% 38.5% 52.4% 602
2001 Q4 492 423 61 12.4% 60.0% 52.5% 514
2001 Q3 507 429 67 13.2% 37.5% 56.9% 512
2001 Q2 592 511 76 12.8% 83.3% 50.0% 592
2001 Q1 414 371 41 9.9% 62.5% 58.6% 593
2000 Q4 489 402 78 16.0% 71.4% 65.3% 423
2000 Q3 532 441 80 15.0% 50.0% 54.0% 532
2000 Q2 555 458 85 15.3% 33.3% 53.0% 555
2000 Q1 381 306 67 17.6% 54.5% 51.9% 532
1999 Q4 419 346 64 15.3% 100.0% 59.5% 477
1999 Q3 474 383 85 17.9% 55.6% 52.0% 473
1999 Q2 434 365 65 15.0% 50.0% 58.8% 521
1999 Q1 385 302 74 19.2% 69.2% 45.1% 505
1998 Q4 378 297 78 20.6% 66.7% 46.9% 429
1998 Q3 395 316 74 18.7% 50.0% 47.5% 445
1998 Q2 480 394 82 17.1% 43.8% 40.4% 463
1998 Q1 366 302 59 16.1% 37.5% 34.8% 459
1997 Q4 336 278 56 16.7% 28.6% 39.5% 390
1997 Q3 489 424 60 12.3% 20.0% 47.5% 418
1997 Q2 436 379 49 11.2% 40.0% 43.2% 482
1997 Q1 294 245 41 13.9% 28.6% 47.1% 437
1996 Q4 334 285 42 12.6% 40.0% 50.6% 331
1996 Q3 370 308 54 14.6% 40.0% 54.0% 341
1996 Q2 332 265 64 19.3% 0.0% 68.7% 394
1996 Q1 331 260 71 21.5% 37.5% 54.5% —
1995 Q4 292 244 48 16.4% 54.5% 44.2% —
1995 Q3 337 289 48 14.2% 50.0% 55.6% —
1995 Q2 375 311 64 17.1% 66.7% 65.6% —
1995 Q1 316 255 61 19.3% 71.4% 66.0% —
1994 Q4 375 296 79 21.1% 100.0% 56.3% —
1994 Q3 384 333 51 13.3% 25.0% 66.1% —
1994 Q2 365 313 52 14.2% 50.0% 68.7% —
1994 Q1 297 252 45 15.2% 63.6% 54.9% —
1993 Q4 327 281 46 14.1% 63.6% 47.9% —
1993 Q3 391 327 64 16.4% 75.0% 64.8% —
1993 Q2 409 336 73 17.8% 100.0% 54.6% —
1993 Q1 319 254 65 20.4% 66.7% 53.8% —
1992 Q4 296 234 62 20.9% 66.7% 47.7% —
1992 Q3 406 339 67 16.5% 50.0% 53.4% —
1992 Q2 385 308 77 20.0% 70.6% 54.8% —
1992 Q1 369 268 101 27.4% 87.5% 60.7% —
1991 Q4 383 289 94 24.5% 71.4% 56.2% —
1991 Q3 425 337 88 20.7% 80.0% 65.9% —
1991 Q2 471 354 117 24.8% 72.2% 60.2% —
1991 Q1 384 293 91 23.7% 70.0% 51.6% —
1990 Q4 477 313 164 34.4% 62.5% 48.0% —
1990 Q3 543 373 170 31.3% 84.0% 46.3% —
1990 Q2 533 349 184 34.5% 50.0% 35.6% —
1990 Q1 540 387 153 28.3% 69.2% 40.9% —
1989 Q4 534 342 192 36.0% 58.8% 28.0% —
1989 Q3 521 348 173 33.2% 35.3% 16.2% —
1989 Q2 690 460 230 33.3% 45.0% 22.7% —
1989 Q1 551 371 180 32.7% 22.2% 22.3% —
1988 Q4 589 372 217 36.8% 27.3% 26.6% —
1988 Q3 668 481 187 28.0% 53.8% 31.8% —
1988 Q2 649 446 203 31.3% 34.8% 23.5% —
1988 Q1 581 399 182 31.3% 54.5% 26.5% —
1987 Q4 557 368 189 33.9% 80.0% 42.3% —
1987 Q3 333 283 50 15.0% 75.0% 84.5% —
1987 Q2 351 304 47 13.4% 83.3% 85.8% —
1987 Q1 351 299 52 14.8% 70.0% 86.4% —
1986 Q4 328 259 69 21.0% 80.0% 86.8% —
1986 Q3 329 268 61 18.5% 40.0% 81.0% —
1986 Q2 373 327 46 12.3% 53.8% 82.8% —
1986 Q1 235 204 31 13.2% 76.9% 86.5% —
1985 Q4 220 182 38 17.3% 62.5% 84.9% —
1985 Q3 299 247 52 17.4% 60.9% 85.7% —
1985 Q2 263 221 42 16.0% 90.0% 83.9% —
1985 Q1 266 230 36 13.5% 57.1% 79.1% —
1984 Q4 225 190 35 15.6% 83.3% 91.3% —
1984 Q3 213 177 36 16.9% 85.7% 76.8% —
1984 Q2 296 258 38 12.8% 75.0% 77.1% —
1984 Q1 221 181 40 18.1% 83.3% 78.7% —
1983 Q4 258 218 40 15.5% 87.5% 81.2% —
1983 Q3 265 210 55 20.8% 60.0% 88.0% —
1983 Q2 348 298 50 14.4% 75.0% 71.2% —
1983 Q1 249 208 41 16.5% 83.3% 73.7% —
1982 Q4 343 276 67 19.5% 50.0% 79.7% —
1982 Q3 330 283 47 14.2% 77.8% 80.9% —
1982 Q2 192 170 22 11.5% 100.0% 80.0% —
1982 Q1 247 204 43 17.4% 91.7% 69.2% —
1981 Q4 208 181 27 13.0% 85.7% 82.3% —
1981 Q3 261 226 35 13.4% 40.0% 85.9% —
1981 Q2 349 301 48 13.8% 75.0% 49.6% —
1981 Q1 351 304 47 13.4% 87.5% 82.1% —
1980 Q4 264 227 37 14.0% 75.0% 79.6% —
1980 Q3 278 234 44 15.8% 88.9% 85.0% —
1980 Q2 334 279 55 16.5% 72.7% 68.5% —
1980 Q1 268 229 39 14.6% 89.5% 44.6% —
1979 Q4 273 224 49 17.9% 80.0% 33.3% —
1979 Q3 347 314 33 9.5% 71.4% 36.8% —
1979 Q2 320 267 53 16.6% 100.0% 33.3% —

Decisions and speed: MHCLG planning application statistics (PS1/PS2), Open Government Licence v3.0, 2025 Q3 – 2026 Q2. Speed figures exclude prior approvals and are measured against the statutory period or agreed extension. Appeal figures: our aggregation of published Planning Inspectorate decisions, 2021–2026 — a different period from the decision figures above. Designation thresholds shown are indicative, not official.

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