Barnsley

Yorkshire and The Humber·E08000038·Data: 2025 Q1-Q4
53

Average

Performance rating out of 100, based on approval rate, decision speed and appeal outcomes

Barnsley is a planning authority in Yorkshire and The Humber that covers a diverse area with a mix of urban and rural communities. The council takes a generally positive approach to householder applications, with a high approval rate that reflects their willingness to support homeowners making reasonable changes to their properties. The authority has a moderate overall performance score, which means there is room for improvement in how quickly decisions are made.

Approval Rate

95%

of householder applications approved

Decided Within 8 Weeks

47%

meet the statutory target

What to Expect

When you submit a householder planning application to Barnsley, you can be fairly confident that it will be approved. Around 95 percent of applications from homeowners are successful, which is a reassuring figure if your proposal is reasonable and follows the rules. However, you should be prepared for a potentially longer wait than the standard 8 weeks, as only around 47 percent of applications are decided within this target timeframe. This means some applications may take longer, so it is worth building extra time into your plans.

Local Planning Considerations

Barnsley has various conservation areas where older buildings and streets are protected, so if your home is located in one of these areas you may face stricter rules about changes to the exterior. The authority also has green belt land that surrounds parts of the borough, which means certain types of development in these areas will be carefully scrutinised. It is worth checking whether your property falls within any of these designations before you apply.

Tips for Homeowners

Start by having a clear conversation with the planning team at Barnsley before you submit your application, as they can give you helpful advice about whether your idea is likely to be approved and what information you need to provide. Make sure your application is as complete and well presented as possible, because missing information can slow things down even further given that the council already takes longer than average to make decisions. Consider that while approval rates are high, the decision speed is more variable, so plan your project timeline with some flexibility and do not assume you will get your decision within 8 weeks.

About the performance rating: The score out of 100 is calculated from three factors: householder application approval rate (up to 40 points), the percentage of decisions made within the 8-week statutory target (up to 30 points), and the appeal overturn rate, where a lower rate means the authority makes sound decisions that hold up on appeal (up to 20 points). A further 10 points are available for data completeness. Source: MHCLG PS2 planning statistics and Planning Inspectorate appeal decisions, 2025 Q1-Q4.

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