Planning permissions for dwellings rose 8% in the first half of 2026, CSO says
The 3,386 permissions granted for dwellings in the first half of 2026 are up 8% on a year earlier (1,597 in Q2, up 4%). What it means if you await a decision.
In brief
- The CSO recorded 1,597 planning permissions granted for dwellings in Q2 2026, up 4.0% from 1,536 in Q2 2025.
- In the first half of 2026 there were 3,386 permissions for dwellings, 8.1% more than the 3,133 in the first half of 2025.
- These figures count permissions (applications granted), not homes. One permission can cover many apartments or houses.
- The CSO table does not split out one-off houses, so it cannot say how many of these were self-builds.
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) published planning permission figures for the second quarter of 2026 on 17 September 2026. They show how many permissions local authorities granted, by type of construction.
How many permissions were granted?
1,597 permissions for dwellings were granted in Q2 2026, 4.0% more than the 1,536 in Q2 2025. Across the first half of the year the total was 3,386, against 3,133 a year earlier (up 8.1%).
| Quarter | Permissions for dwellings |
|---|---|
| Q2 2025 | 1,536 |
| Q3 2025 | 1,842 |
| Q4 2025 | 1,647 |
| Q1 2026 | 1,789 |
| Q2 2026 | 1,597 |
All types of construction together (dwellings, extensions, alterations and other new building) came to 8,202 permissions in Q2 2026, against 7,058 in Q2 2025.
What the figures do and don’t tell you
- They count permissions, not homes. One permission for an apartment scheme counts once, however many apartments it covers.
- They are for dwellings of all kinds. The CSO’s older table that separated one-off houses stopped in 2014, so these figures cannot show how many were self-builds.
- A permission is not a build. Permissions in 2026 feed the completions you will see in 2027 and 2028, and many are never built.
What does this mean for you?
A steady flow of grants shows local authorities are deciding applications at a normal rate. It does not tell you how long your own decision will take. Your council has 8 weeks to decide a valid application, and longer if it asks for further information. See how long a permission lasts once you have it.
- Read how planning permission for a one-off house works.
- If a decision is objected to or appealed, see objections and appeals.
This article reports published statistics. It is not a forecast.
Sources
Last reviewed 17 September 2026. Rules and figures change, so confirm anything important with the source before you rely on it.
- BHQ03: Planning Permissions GrantedCentral Statistics Office
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