When an approval actually becomes work
Permission granted is not a job starting. The dates that tell you a build is real are further down the page.
Applies to England. Facts last checked 4 Aug 2026. Guides describe England; other UK nations run separate planning systems.
The timetable
A householder application is validated, publicised for a 21-day consultation, and is meant to be decided within 8 weeks — 13 for a major scheme. Many councils run over. Once granted, permission lasts three years before it lapses, and the applicant only has to make a material start within that window.
Three years is the number that catches people out. An approval you find today may be a job this autumn, next summer, or never.
The signal most people miss
Look for a later application on the same site to discharge conditions — often typed "Approval of Details Reserved by Condition" or similar. Almost every permission carries conditions that must be signed off before work begins: materials, drainage, construction management.
Somebody discharging conditions is paying a professional to clear the last hurdle before building. That is a far stronger signal of an imminent start than the original approval, and it is months later. It is also much less competed for, because most people chase the approval and stop.
What each status is really telling you
Roughly, and depending on the council’s wording:
- Pending — decision not made. Early, and the homeowner may not have appointed anyone. Also the point at which they may still be refused.
- Permitted or approved — they can build. Whether they will, and when, is not in the record.
- Refused — no work, unless they amend and reapply, which many do. A resubmission is a live lead.
- Withdrawn — usually pulled before a refusal. Often comes back changed.
Timing your approach
The useful window for most trades is between approval and start: the homeowner has committed, has a drawing, and is getting quotes. Approaching before a decision risks pitching for a job that gets refused. Approaching a year after approval risks arriving when the builder is already on site.
Sources
- Planning Portal — the decision-making process
- Town and Country Planning Act 1990, s91 (duration of permission)
General explanation, not legal or planning advice. Anything that turns on the detail of a particular site is worth a free phone call to the council’s planning department. Something here wrong or out of date? Tell us.