Planning Application Statuses Explained

Councils in England use a small set of standard status values to describe where a planning application is in the process. Portal software rebrands them, though — so Bromsgrove might call something Pending Consideration while Redditch calls the same thing Awaiting Decision. This guide covers the meanings behind the labels.

Received / Registered

The application has been submitted and given a reference number, but formal processing may not have started yet. It is visible on the portal but not necessarily open to public comment. If the status stays here for more than about two weeks it usually means the council is asking the applicant for missing documents before validating.

Awaiting Validation

The council is checking that the fee, forms and plans meet the national validation requirements. Nothing else happens until this is complete. The statutory eight- or thirteen-week clock has not started yet.

Pending Consideration / Under Assessment

This is the working status for most of an application's life. It means the application is valid, has been publicised, and is being assessed by a case officer. The consultation window is either open or has just closed. Comments submitted here still get read — councils generally accept comments up to the point of decision.

Consultation In Progress

A subset of Pending Consideration used by some councils to make it explicit that the 21-day public comment window is currently open. This is the moment when public input is most useful.

Awaiting Committee

The officer has finished their assessment and written a report recommending approval or refusal. The application has been scheduled for a planning committee meeting where councillors will vote. Committee papers are usually published five to seven working days before the meeting. If you want to speak, register with the council's democratic services team as soon as this status appears.

Approved / Permission Granted

The application has been approved. The decision notice will list conditions the applicant must satisfy — some before work starts (pre-commencement conditions), others before occupation. The permission is normally valid for three years, meaning work must have meaningfully begun within that window or the permission lapses.

Refused

The council has turned the application down. The decision notice sets out the reasons for refusal, each tied to a specific policy. The applicant has six months to appeal to the Planning Inspectorate, or they can submit a revised application addressing the reasons for refusal (often at a reduced fee within twelve months of the original refusal).

Withdrawn

The applicant has pulled the application before a decision was made. This usually happens after negative feedback from the officer or strong objections during consultation. A withdrawn application can be resubmitted in a revised form.

Appeal Lodged / Appeal In Progress

The applicant has appealed a refusal (or non-determination) to the Planning Inspectorate. From this point the case moves out of the council's hands — comments should be sent directly to the Inspectorate, using the appeal reference on the Planning Inspectorate's own portal. Public comments made during the original council consultation are automatically passed on and do not need to be repeated.

Appeal Allowed / Appeal Dismissed

Allowed means the Inspector has overturned the council's refusal and granted permission. Dismissed means the Inspector has agreed with the council and the refusal stands. Both are final in the sense that there is no further right of appeal on planning merits — only a legal challenge on procedural grounds.

Statuses specific to enforcement

• Under Investigation — the council is looking into an alleged breach of planning control.
• Enforcement Notice Issued — the council has formally required the breach to be corrected within a set period.
• Case Closed — either no breach was found, or the breach has been resolved.