Planning permission in Oxford
The decisions this council published on its planning register over the last 24 months, as held in our planning data: 432 applications decided, 93% approved. Data as of 2026-07-17.
21 applications were withdrawn before a decision; they are not counted in the approval rate.
By application type
| Application type | Decided | Approved | Median days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tree works | 163 | 99% (162) | 25 |
| Full applications | 85 | 86% (73) | 63 |
| Discharge of conditions | 47 | 91% (43) | 31 |
| Outline applications | 39 | 79% (31) | 51 |
| Amendments | 30 | 90% (27) | 31 |
The headline approval rate blends every type above, so read the row for the work you have in mind: tree works and condition discharges approve far more readily than full applications.
Nearby authorities
| Authority | Decided | Approved | Median days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vale of White Horse | 1,370 | 95% | 56 |
| South Oxfordshire | 1,733 | 95% | 49 |
| West Oxfordshire | 1,344 | 97% | 45 |
| Buckinghamshire | 2,951 | 85% | 60 |
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 Oxford?
Across the 432 dated decisions we hold from the last 24 months, the median application in Oxford was decided in 30 days, and 1 in 10 waited longer than 72 days. 78% were decided within 8 weeks of the received date on the register. Noticeably faster than the national median of 56 days.
What share of planning applications does Oxford approve?
93% of the 432 decided applications we hold were approved, across all application types on the register. For full applications alone it is 86% (73 of 85). 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.
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