Barking and Dagenham leads the nation in planning application speed
Barking and Dagenham Council has been recognised as the top-performing local authority in England for the speed at which it determines planning applications.
The council has achieved a 100% success rate in determining all major and non-major planning applications within statutory timescales for the fifth consecutive year. This achievement places the borough joint first nationally among all 330 local planning authorities.
The Planning Committee of Barking and Dagenham Council met on Wednesday, 14 October 2026, to discuss several planning applications and reports. Lewis Goodley, Development Management Team Leader at Be First, presented the Planning Performance Review Report for the financial year 2025-2026, highlighting the council's consistent success. The report, available in the Public reports pack, detailed that 100% of major and non-major planning applications were determined within statutory timescales.
While the specific statutory timescales are not detailed in the publicly available information, the council's consistent achievement of determining all applications within these periods is a key factor in its national ranking. This strong performance is attributed to the council's efficient delegation practices and the dedication of its planning team.
Appeal performance also remained robust, with 78% of appeals dismissed, indicating high-quality decision-making by the council's planning officers. This success rate is well above the national average and reflects the accuracy and adherence to planning policies.
The report also covered performance statistics for Building Control, Land Charges, and Street Naming and Numbering services, all of which demonstrated strong performance. The Land Charges team, in particular, achieved 100% performance against their KPIs, ensuring efficient processing of land searches for property transactions.
This national recognition underscores Barking and Dagenham's commitment to streamlining the planning process, facilitating development, and supporting economic growth within the borough.
