September’s Market Insight Report is now available

September sees 3% increase in applications, offering positivity against broader 2024 decline 

September’s application numbers are up 3% against last month – remaining steady against the same month last year but showing a positive upswing against August. Two application types this month saw a particular increase – Larger Home Extension projects and TPOs. 

Unfortunately, September’s promising increase is not significant enough to disturb 2024’s overall trend. 

Application figures in 2024

As we enter autumn and approach the end of the year, we can say with some confidence that 2024 planning applications are down – and that this fall continues the year-on-year decline we’ve seen consistently since the pandemic.  

As of the end of September 2024, planning application are down around 20,000 so far this year. 

The reasons for such decline are many and extensive, with significant economic, resourcing and legislative factors at play. How does this year-on-year decline stack up against ambitious national housing targets?  

As Geoffery Keal, TerraQuest CEO, highlighted for our Inaugural Market Index Report, low build-out industry wide shows that it’s not just the submitting of applications and securing of permission that delivers new homes. 

‘We welcome the Chancellor’s focus on housebuilding. Our research, published just before the general election, shows more than one-third of homes granted planning permission since 2015 have never been built, equating to more than a million residential units.’ – Geoffery Keal, TerraQuest 

We’re pleased to see increased funding for housebuilding in the latest budget. However, delivering these new projects successfully will require a coordinated approach across the industry, with digital integration and tools playing a key role in streamlining efficiencies throughout the entire project lifecycle—from application to construction. 

So how do September’s application stats look for the different regions? 

Compared to September last year, application figures have held steady across most regions – with Yorkshire and The Humber and North East both seeing a 9% rise – meaning 300 more applications for Yorkshire and the Humber alone. 

The increase against August spanned all regions except London, where applications dropped by 100. Yorkshire and The Humber led the month’s growth with a 7% rise, while the South East recorded 410 additional submissions. 

This year so far, the South East region has so far seen the largest decline in applications, receiving 4,390 less. Two other regions which have seen notable dips are the East of England and West Midlands, both down by around 6%. 

Submissions by type 

The submission for most application types fell in September 2024 when compared with last year, with Householder Applications falling by 2%, Full Applications down by 6% and Outline Applications down 6%.  

However, Larger Home Extensions rose by 4% against September last year (despite an overall downturn of 6% for this application type in 2024), whilst TPO Applications saw a 9% increase to the same month last year – which equates to just over 700 more applications.  

Interestingly, September saw a notably smaller decrease in Outline Applications, down just 6% compared to the more significant 19% drop experienced over the year.

Householder applications 

Householder applications fell by 2% this month—again, a smaller decline compared to the 10.5% decrease recorded year-to-date. 

Full planning applications  

There were 71 more full planning applications in September 2024 compared to August 2024. Total applications remain relatively consistent throughout this year, averaging 9337 per month.  

As the national planning application service, Planning Portal have exclusive oversight of online application data at the point of submission to local planning authorities. 

For detailed planning insights, explore our Planning Market Index report—a seasonal publication featuring an in-depth look at application trends, development pipeline analysis, and expert insights from key industry stakeholders.  

With early access to application data across England and Wales, we offer valuable foresight into the evolving planning landscape. To access these insights at a more granular level, please email us at communications@planningportal.co.uk.