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St Albans

East of England · E07000240 · 189 quarters held (1979 Q2 – 2026 Q2)

Decisions
1,415
2025 Q3 – 2026 Q2
Refusal rate
13.7%
higher than 63% of authorities
Majors in time
50.0%
threshold 60%
Minors in time
72.1%
threshold 70%
Householder in time
84.5%
no formal threshold
Delegated
98.7%
decisions not to committee
Appellant win rate
33.3%
135 allowed of 406 decided
Decisions overturned
1.5%
quality threshold 10%

Refusal rate trend — last 40 quarters

2016 Q3 → 2026 Q2 · peak 22.4%

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
1,537
in the window
Applications decided
1,415
in the window
Approval rate
86.3%
1,221 granted, 194 refused · national median refusal 11.6%
Refusal rate rank 109 of 164 district councils (1 = fewest refusals) · peer median 11.4%
Decided within time
82.6%
rank 250 of 307 reporting authorities · national median 91.4%
Rank 132 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
Major2665.4%50.0%
Minor26882.1%72.1%
Other1,12187.8%—
of which householder98087.3%84.5%
"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
02194372024 Q3: 357 received2024 Q3: 437 decided2024 Q32024 Q4: 328 received2024 Q4: 361 decided2025 Q1: 327 received2025 Q1: 297 decided2025 Q2: 428 received2025 Q2: 295 decided2025 Q3: 344 received2025 Q3: 428 decided2025 Q4: 393 received2025 Q4: 355 decided2026 Q1: 404 received2026 Q1: 333 decided2026 Q2: 396 received2026 Q2: 299 decided2026 Q2
▬ received   ▬ decided
Housing Delivery Test
HDT 2025 measurement, homes delivered against requirement over 2022/23 to 2024/25
46%
Presumption

Delivery below 75%: the NPPF presumption in favour of sustainable development applies to housing applications here. A material point for any housing proposal.

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 (E07000240). 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)25 Oct 2026 · 68,583 rows nationallyLive tables
Planning application flow (PS1)MHCLG1979 Q2 to 2026 Q2 (189 quarters)25 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 299 252 47 15.7% 33.3% 61.5% 396
2026 Q1 333 286 47 14.1% 50.0% 83.3% 404
2025 Q4 355 303 52 14.6% — 58.3% 393
2025 Q3 428 380 48 11.2% 100.0% 80.6% 344
2025 Q2 295 258 37 12.5% — 76.0% 428
2025 Q1 297 239 58 19.5% 100.0% 64.7% 327
2024 Q4 361 280 81 22.4% — 96.6% 328
2024 Q3 437 366 71 16.2% 100.0% 61.5% 357
2024 Q2 464 393 71 15.3% 60.0% 28.0% 354
2024 Q1 440 379 61 13.9% 0.0% 0.0% 369
2023 Q4 371 314 57 15.4% 100.0% 0.0% 401
2023 Q3 283 231 52 18.4% 100.0% 0.0% 392
2023 Q2 353 295 58 16.4% — 21.7% 449
2023 Q1 408 327 81 19.9% 80.0% 27.3% 443
2022 Q4 361 297 64 17.7% 0.0% 13.3% 447
2022 Q3 476 397 79 16.6% — 61.7% 508
2022 Q2 589 491 98 16.6% 66.7% 81.1% 548
2022 Q1 514 452 62 12.1% — 76.0% 595
2021 Q4 484 402 82 16.9% 66.7% 85.7% 556
2021 Q3 666 552 114 17.1% 66.7% 74.6% 571
2021 Q2 716 611 105 14.7% — 73.7% 703
2021 Q1 572 487 85 14.9% 100.0% 63.6% 655
2020 Q4 461 388 73 15.8% 100.0% 57.9% 654
2020 Q3 426 363 63 14.8% 100.0% 64.3% 541
2020 Q2 432 364 68 15.7% 75.0% 71.4% 458
2020 Q1 476 406 70 14.7% 100.0% 60.0% 495
2019 Q4 538 458 80 14.9% 0.0% 79.2% 562
2019 Q3 525 460 65 12.4% 100.0% 81.8% 512
2019 Q2 443 386 57 12.9% — 87.2% 533
2019 Q1 462 409 53 11.5% 100.0% 89.2% 533
2018 Q4 522 460 62 11.9% 100.0% 78.6% 516
2018 Q3 505 438 67 13.3% 100.0% 83.3% 569
2018 Q2 518 447 71 13.7% — 92.2% 610
2018 Q1 520 445 75 14.4% 75.0% 94.8% 552
2017 Q4 529 464 65 12.3% 100.0% 92.8% 596
2017 Q3 572 511 61 10.7% 80.0% 98.2% 595
2017 Q2 608 549 59 9.7% 100.0% 91.8% 617
2017 Q1 552 493 59 10.7% 66.7% 86.5% 645
2016 Q4 538 470 68 12.6% 100.0% 80.8% 622
2016 Q3 673 576 97 14.4% 33.3% 61.6% 633
2016 Q2 695 599 96 13.8% 50.0% 71.1% 689
2016 Q1 565 459 106 18.8% 100.0% 55.1% 667
2015 Q4 537 419 118 22.0% 100.0% 59.0% 588
2015 Q3 557 438 119 21.4% 42.9% 58.9% 575
2015 Q2 527 415 112 21.3% 80.0% 67.9% 661
2015 Q1 517 419 98 19.0% 71.4% 60.4% 646
2014 Q4 566 454 112 19.8% 58.3% 59.9% 636
2014 Q3 667 562 105 15.7% 50.0% 60.8% 636
2014 Q2 562 449 113 20.1% 100.0% 52.9% 635
2014 Q1 543 376 84 15.5% 50.0% 53.2% 741
2013 Q4 682 491 102 15.0% 66.7% 61.9% 743
2013 Q3 655 441 130 19.8% 63.6% 77.8% 787
2013 Q2 589 383 122 20.7% 85.7% 75.0% 710
2013 Q1 550 362 116 21.1% 71.4% 69.4% 680
2012 Q4 587 373 156 26.6% 88.9% 74.8% 717
2012 Q3 652 404 160 24.5% 77.8% 75.2% 733
2012 Q2 651 505 63 9.7% 50.0% 77.9% 776
2012 Q1 607 393 153 25.2% 50.0% 68.7% 766
2011 Q4 640 405 170 26.6% 60.0% 81.0% 699
2011 Q3 769 506 170 22.1% 66.7% 62.6% 766
2011 Q2 622 422 128 20.6% 27.8% 50.0% 668
2011 Q1 580 410 110 19.0% 0.0% 45.5% 622
2010 Q4 501 320 114 22.8% 16.7% 37.7% 622
2010 Q3 616 358 162 26.3% 0.0% 74.2% 706
2010 Q2 546 395 65 11.9% 75.0% 80.8% 612
2010 Q1 470 294 92 19.6% 75.0% 94.3% 646
2009 Q4 468 295 105 22.4% 100.0% 94.7% 532
2009 Q3 561 385 98 17.5% 75.0% 91.5% 539
2009 Q2 519 313 141 27.2% 25.0% 79.3% 569
2009 Q1 440 302 86 19.5% 75.0% 74.7% 528
2008 Q4 587 374 168 28.6% 66.7% 75.4% 535
2008 Q3 690 424 209 30.3% 80.0% 75.7% 677
2008 Q2 711 433 220 30.9% 71.4% 67.6% 713
2008 Q1 598 375 181 30.3% 81.8% 78.0% 761
2007 Q4 701 463 193 27.5% 90.0% 80.6% 636
2007 Q3 735 470 220 29.9% 57.1% 83.3% 795
2007 Q2 728 455 227 31.2% 100.0% 88.3% 787
2007 Q1 667 429 190 28.5% 42.9% 74.8% 794
2006 Q4 663 449 160 24.1% 61.1% 69.8% 696
2006 Q3 690 541 99 14.3% 66.7% 79.1% 932
2006 Q2 669 485 143 21.4% 66.7% 84.3% 766
2006 Q1 583 375 180 30.9% 66.7% 86.0% 694
2005 Q4 563 445 91 16.2% 61.5% 89.3% 583
2005 Q3 621 413 170 27.4% 75.0% 90.6% 636
2005 Q2 675 492 147 21.8% 87.5% 92.1% 673
2005 Q1 682 443 192 28.2% 75.0% 76.1% 705
2004 Q4 640 434 168 26.3% 50.0% 59.5% 677
2004 Q3 740 524 180 24.3% 50.0% 64.8% 744
2004 Q2 681 485 157 23.1% 69.2% 43.8% 726
2004 Q1 591 423 138 23.4% 20.0% 35.7% 677
2003 Q4 569 388 146 25.7% 50.0% 32.7% 666
2003 Q3 776 538 193 24.9% 25.0% 37.3% 644
2003 Q2 653 460 155 23.7% 0.0% 21.1% 723
2003 Q1 663 459 172 25.9% 25.0% 23.7% 670
2002 Q4 652 471 142 21.8% 100.0% 10.5% 652
2002 Q3 580 450 101 17.4% 0.0% 8.0% 573
2002 Q2 635 500 102 16.1% 66.7% 2.5% 621
2002 Q1 539 421 92 17.1% 66.7% 9.4% 701
2001 Q4 530 409 89 16.8% 100.0% 8.2% 547
2001 Q3 540 424 88 16.3% 25.0% 15.3% 564
2001 Q2 554 438 90 16.2% 75.0% 23.2% 630
2001 Q1 523 388 115 22.0% 38.9% 31.9% 631
2000 Q4 478 348 107 22.4% 42.9% 45.5% 537
2000 Q3 604 451 118 19.5% 12.5% 62.4% 587
2000 Q2 668 535 105 15.7% 71.4% 64.0% 663
2000 Q1 581 456 99 17.0% 55.6% 56.5% 763
1999 Q4 586 467 101 17.2% 66.7% 56.3% 585
1999 Q3 579 460 92 15.9% 50.0% 62.5% 604
1999 Q2 598 463 99 16.6% 60.0% 54.9% 581
1999 Q1 498 372 99 19.9% 0.0% 52.7% 614
1998 Q4 519 403 102 19.7% 70.0% 63.2% 570
1998 Q3 594 432 128 21.5% 30.0% 51.9% 534
1998 Q2 621 455 141 22.7% 50.0% 59.1% 609
1998 Q1 446 344 80 17.9% 0.0% 70.8% 595
1997 Q4 467 341 103 22.1% 66.7% 66.0% 521
1997 Q3 614 443 146 23.8% 45.5% 69.4% 586
1997 Q2 569 403 132 23.2% 38.5% 63.8% 640
1997 Q1 400 274 105 26.3% 55.6% 66.7% 488
1996 Q4 464 335 108 23.3% 50.0% 70.0% 484
1996 Q3 499 380 92 18.4% 40.0% 73.0% 449
1996 Q2 436 315 100 22.9% 85.7% 86.8% 542
1996 Q1 146 120 26 17.8% 66.7% 60.5% —
1995 Q4 117 94 23 19.7% 50.0% 66.7% —
1995 Q3 143 123 20 14.0% 33.3% 62.1% —
1995 Q2 182 149 33 18.1% 33.3% 51.2% —
1995 Q1 134 113 21 15.7% 0.0% 57.5% —
1994 Q4 137 128 9 6.6% 57.1% 55.6% —
1994 Q3 166 146 20 12.0% 33.3% 61.5% —
1994 Q2 197 170 27 13.7% 66.7% 61.5% —
1994 Q1 159 140 19 11.9% 0.0% 50.9% —
1993 Q4 154 136 18 11.7% 50.0% 51.4% —
1993 Q3 191 170 21 11.0% 80.0% 53.1% —
1993 Q2 181 157 24 13.3% 75.0% 59.5% —
1993 Q1 192 158 34 17.7% 75.0% 76.8% —
1992 Q4 136 113 23 16.9% 66.7% 63.6% —
1992 Q3 174 136 38 21.8% 75.0% 62.7% —
1992 Q2 205 169 36 17.6% 80.0% 51.5% —
1992 Q1 161 136 25 15.5% 66.7% 61.5% —
1991 Q4 187 148 39 20.9% 66.7% 50.0% —
1991 Q3 178 148 30 16.9% 50.0% 43.1% —
1991 Q2 233 173 60 25.8% 54.5% 62.1% —
1991 Q1 208 173 35 16.8% 33.3% 35.8% —
1990 Q4 202 169 33 16.3% 37.5% 29.1% —
1990 Q3 199 173 26 13.1% 66.7% 31.9% —
1990 Q2 274 233 41 15.0% 62.5% 26.3% —
1990 Q1 258 231 27 10.5% 56.3% 20.3% —
1989 Q4 273 245 28 10.3% 70.0% 24.1% —
1989 Q3 176 158 18 10.2% 50.0% 29.3% —
1989 Q2 289 272 17 5.9% 85.7% 42.2% —
1989 Q1 178 157 21 11.8% 75.0% 46.7% —
1988 Q4 230 209 21 9.1% 90.9% 62.3% —
1988 Q3 241 226 15 6.2% 85.7% 60.3% —
1988 Q2 361 329 32 8.9% 87.5% 77.8% —
1988 Q1 257 230 27 10.5% 100.0% 85.9% —
1987 Q4 245 217 28 11.4% 83.3% 73.5% —
1987 Q3 332 304 28 8.4% 90.9% 92.9% —
1987 Q2 257 227 30 11.7% 77.8% 70.4% —
1987 Q1 218 197 21 9.6% 100.0% 87.1% —
1986 Q4 193 167 26 13.5% 93.8% 77.8% —
1986 Q3 282 250 32 11.3% 100.0% 86.4% —
1986 Q2 220 190 30 13.6% 92.3% 85.2% —
1986 Q1 135 114 21 15.6% 100.0% 86.5% —
1985 Q4 201 164 37 18.4% 93.3% 63.1% —
1985 Q3 329 287 42 12.8% 87.5% 67.0% —
1985 Q2 233 204 29 12.4% 88.2% 85.5% —
1985 Q1 249 229 20 8.0% 100.0% 82.4% —
1984 Q4 245 229 16 6.5% 100.0% 73.9% —
1984 Q3 252 234 18 7.1% 87.5% 70.8% —
1984 Q2 207 186 21 10.1% 75.0% 65.7% —
1984 Q1 192 169 23 12.0% 87.5% 71.7% —
1983 Q4 175 159 16 9.1% 100.0% 65.1% —
1983 Q3 232 205 27 11.6% 85.7% 63.0% —
1983 Q2 299 271 28 9.4% 92.3% 74.7% —
1983 Q1 172 160 12 7.0% 85.7% 67.3% —
1982 Q4 230 210 20 8.7% 94.1% 70.9% —
1982 Q3 203 178 25 12.3% 100.0% 60.7% —
1982 Q2 304 278 26 8.6% 90.5% 63.3% —
1982 Q1 130 120 10 7.7% 75.0% 82.4% —
1981 Q4 159 141 18 11.3% 75.0% 72.5% —
1981 Q3 271 244 27 10.0% 78.6% 58.2% —
1981 Q2 231 210 21 9.1% 88.9% 70.5% —
1981 Q1 195 178 17 8.7% 88.9% 74.0% —
1980 Q4 250 228 22 8.8% 57.1% 71.9% —
1980 Q3 281 255 26 9.3% 91.7% 56.6% —
1980 Q2 371 337 34 9.2% 90.0% 52.7% —
1980 Q1 219 199 20 9.1% 90.0% 53.2% —
1979 Q4 276 255 21 7.6% 100.0% 70.4% —
1979 Q3 281 257 24 8.5% 100.0% 49.3% —
1979 Q2 326 299 27 8.3% 88.9% 58.3% —

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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