The number of planning applications fell in April compared with the same month in 2022, according to the latest Planning Portal Market Insight Report.

Its data shows that there were a total of 47,282 applications submitted through the portal, which is 9% down year on year.

A dive into the figures reveals more about the trends, with full applications falling by just 4% compared to a 20% drop in householder submissions.

Other year on year (April 2022 vs April 2023) statistics show an 18% fall in outline applications while prior approval submissions for larger home extensions decreased by 22%.

Clearly the smaller development spectrum of the market is experiencing the greatest contraction while full applications for larger and more complex schemes appear to be holding up better.

In terms of trends for the year so far, 2023 is following the same pattern as 2021 and 2022 with slow rises at the start of the year to a peak in March before a drop in April.

In 2022, there were peaks and troughs over spring and early summer before a levelling off and the usual end of year fall in December.

In 2021, applications held steady during the spring and early summer before a fall in August and a plateau until the end of the year.

Planning Portal’s Market Insight Reports are very much appreciated and incredibly valuable for showing the health and emerging trends of the market.

We will keep you updated when they are published but you can also subscribe through the Planning Portal website and visit its page on LinkedIn.