New data reveals disparity in Local Authority Search wait times – London Wallet

LA Search turnaround times Table shows the average number of days it takes to turnaround a Local Authority Search in all of England & Wales’ 344 local planning authorities in January 2023 and February 2024, alongside the annual change in days and percentage Council Council Turnaround (Working Days) – Jan 2023 Council Turnaround (Working Days) – Feb 2024 Regulated Turnaround (Working Days) Est annual change % Est annual change days n Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council 6 62 5 933.3% 56 Bridgend County Borough Council 30 134 15 346.7% 104 Southend-on-Sea City Council 2 7 15 250.0% 5 North Northamptonshire Council (Wellingborough Borough Council) 4 10 5 150.0% 6 South Ribble Borough Council 15 35 5 133.3% 20 Cumberland Council (Carlisle City Council) 7 15 6 114.3% 8 Bolton Metro Borough Council 30 62 5 106.7% 32 Coventry City Council 15 30 22 100.0% 15 Bromsgrove District Council 10 20 7 100.0% 10 Redditch Borough Council 10 20 7 100.0% 10 Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council 10 20 19 100.0% 10 Brentwood Borough Council 5 10 4 100.0% 5 Wychavon District Council 5 10 4 100.0% 5 Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council 10 19 5 90.0% 9 Newark & Sherwood District Council 10 18 4 80.0% 8 Fareham Borough Council 5 9 5 80.0% 4 Lincoln City Council 10 17 3 70.0% 7 Hyndburn Borough Council 15 25 8 66.7% 10 Pendle Borough Council 15 25 4 66.7% 10 Cheshire East Borough Council (Unitary) 6 10 22 66.7% 4 North Kesteven District Council 3 5 8 66.7% 2 Test Valley Borough Council 20 30 30 50.0% 10 West Northamptonshire Council (Daventry District Council) 20 30 9 50.0% 10 Dacorum Borough Council 10 15 25 50.0% 5 Kirklees Metropolitan Council 10 15 8 50.0% 5 North Yorkshire Council (Selby District Council) 10 15 3 50.0% 5 Slough Council 10 15 12 50.0% 5 Stevenage Borough Council 10 15 17 50.0% 5 Telford and Wrekin Council 10 15 7 50.0% 5 Flintshire County Council 15 22 19 46.7% 7 Lancaster City Council 7 10 6 42.9% 3 Kings Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council 10 14 18 40.0% 4 Cumberland Council (Copeland Borough Council) 15 20 5 33.3% 5 East Riding of Yorkshire Council 15 20 11 33.3% 5 Torbay Borough Council 15 20 18 33.3% 5 Westmorland and Furness Council (Eden District Council) 15 20 12 33.3% 5 Westmorland and Furness Council (South Lakeland District Council) 15 20 15 33.3% 5 Worthing Borough Council 15 20 13 33.3% 5 Mid Suffolk District Council 10 13 3 30.0% 3 Isle of Wight Council 20 25 8 25.0% 5 London Borough of Islington 20 25 20 25.0% 5 Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council 20 25 5 25.0% 5 Central Bedfordshire Council (Unitary) 12 15 20 25.0% 3 Shropshire Council (Unitary) 12 15 8 25.0% 3 London Borough of Ealing 8 10 7 25.0% 2 Mid Sussex District Council 4 5 21 25.0% 1 Wyre Forest District Council 25 30 5 20.0% 5 Hastings Borough Council 15 18 18 20.0% 3 Exeter City Council 10 12 8 20.0% 2 Buckinghamshire Council (Aylesbury Vale) 10 11 12 10.0% 1 Blaenau Gwent County Council Borough Council 25 27 7 8.0% 2 London Borough of Redbridge 28 30 13 7.1% 2 West Berkshire Council 29 30 21 3.4% 1 Adur District Council 20 20 15 0.0% 0 Arun District Council 5 5 6 0.0% 0 Babergh District Council 10 10 4 0.0% 0 Basildon District Council 15 15 10 0.0% 0 Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council 5 5 3 0.0% 0 Bassetlaw District Council 15 15 5 0.0% 0 Bath and North East Somerset Council 10 10 4 0.0% 0 Bedford Borough Council 20 20 15 0.0% 0 Birmingham City Council 7 7 8 0.0% 0 Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council 15 15 15 0.0% 0 Blackpool Borough Council 10 10 4 0.0% 0 Bolsover District Council 10 10 6 0.0% 0 Bracknell Forest Borough Council 7 7 7 0.0% 0 Braintree District Council 5 5 5 0.0% 0 Breckland District Council 15 15 9 0.0% 0 Brighton & Hove City Council 4 4 9 0.0% 0 Bristol City Council 10 10 6 0.0% 0 Broxtowe Borough Council 15 15 7 0.0% 0 Buckinghamshire Council (Wycombe) 10 10 11 0.0% 0 Bury Metro Borough Council 7 7 5 0.0% 0 Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council 25 25 5 0.0% 0 Cambridge City Council 20 20 13 0.0% 0 Cardiff Council 4 4 6 0.0% 0 Carmarthenshire County Council 10 10 5 0.0% 0 Cheltenham Borough Council 10 10 3 0.0% 0 Chesterfield Borough Council 20 20 5 0.0% 0 Chorley Borough Council 12 12 5 0.0% 0 City of Doncaster Council 7 7 7 0.0% 0 City of Wakefield Metropolitan District 10 10 8 0.0% 0 City of York Council 3 3 7 0.0% 0 Colchester Borough Council 7 7 20 0.0% 0 Colchester City Council 7 7 18 0.0% 0 Conwy County Borough Council 9 9 16 0.0% 0 Cornwall Council (Unitary) 10 10 10 0.0% 0 Corporation of the City of London 26 26 5 0.0% 0 Cotswold District Council 15 15 12 0.0% 0 Crawley Borough Council 8 8 4 0.0% 0 Cumberland Council (Allerdale Borough Council) 20 20 9 0.0% 0 Darlington Borough Council 15 15 12 0.0% 0 Derbyshire Dales District Council 15 15 12 0.0% 0 Dover District Council 10 10 13 0.0% 0 Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council 15 15 3 0.0% 0 East Cambridgeshire District Council 10 10 8 0.0% 0 East Hertfordshire District Council 10 10 6 0.0% 0 East Suffolk Council 5 5 – 0.0% 0 Eastbourne Borough Council 10 10 4 0.0% 0 Elmbridge Borough Council 5 5 3 0.0% 0 Erewash Borough Council 20 20 17 0.0% 0 Fenland District Council 13 13 6 0.0% 0 Folkestone & Hythe District Council 15 15 5 0.0% 0 Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council 3 3 6 0.0% 0 Gedling Borough Council 20 20 6 0.0% 0 Gosport Borough Council 10 10 7 0.0% 0 Gravesham Borough Council 10 10 12 0.0% 0 Harborough District Council 12 12 3 0.0% 0 Harlow District Council 18 18 25 0.0% 0 Hartlepool Council 8 8 6 0.0% 0 Havant Borough Council 10 10 9 0.0% 0 Herefordshire Council 10 10 10 0.0% 0 Hertsmere Borough Council 10 10 9 0.0% 0 High Peak Borough Council 20 20 5 0.0% 0 Horsham District Council 10 10 3 0.0% 0 Huntingdonshire District Council 11 11 6 0.0% 0 Ipswich Borough Council 10 10 4 0.0% 0 Isle of Anglesey County Council 10 10 25 0.0% 0 Leeds City Council 3 3 10 0.0% 0 Leicester City Council 15 15 8 0.0% 0 Lewes District Council 10 10 5 0.0% 0 London Borough of Barking and Dagenham 5 5 5 0.0% 0 London Borough of Barnet 5 5 6 0.0% 0 London Borough of Bexley 7 7 5 0.0% 0 London Borough of Bromley 4 4 8 0.0% 0 London Borough of Croydon 5 5 5 0.0% 0 London Borough of Enfield 6 6 3 0.0% 0 London Borough of Haringey 5 5 3 0.0% 0 London Borough of Lambeth 5 5 9 0.0% 0 London Borough of Lewisham 10 10 18 0.0% 0 London Borough of Merton 10 10 9 0.0% 0 London Borough of Newham 5 5 6 0.0% 0 London Borough of Sutton 3 3 3 0.0% 0 London Borough of Tower Hamlets 8 8 8 0.0% 0 London Borough of Waltham Forest 10 10 30 0.0% 0 London Borough of Westminster 5 5 11 0.0% 0 Luton Borough Council 10 10 15 0.0% 0 Manchester City Council 4 4 7 0.0% 0 Medway Council 10 10 16 0.0% 0 Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council 12 12 5 0.0% 0 Middlesbrough Borough Council 25 25 6 0.0% 0 Milton Keynes City Council 10 10 4 0.0% 0 Mole Valley District Council 6 6 9 0.0% 0 Monmouthshire County Council 15 15 4 0.0% 0 Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council 6 6 22 0.0% 0 New Forest District Council 10 10 7 0.0% 0 Newport City Council 20 20 5 0.0% 0 North Devon District Council 3 3 9 0.0% 0 North East Derbyshire District Council 20 20 15 0.0% 0 North East Lincolnshire Council 11 11 8 0.0% 0 North Hertfordshire District Council 5 5 3 0.0% 0 North Northamptonshire Council (Corby Borough Council) 10 10 12 0.0% 0 North Northamptonshire Council (East Northamptonshire District Council) 15 15 12 0.0% 0 North Yorkshire Council (Richmondshire District Council) 20 20 4 0.0% 0 North Yorkshire Council (Scarborough Borough Council) 10 10 3 0.0% 0 Norwich City Council 10 10 6 0.0% 0 Nottingham City Council 10 10 9 0.0% 0 Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council 21 21 3 0.0% 0 Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council 25 25 25 0.0% 0 Peterborough City Council 10 10 3 0.0% 0 Powys County Council 10 10 10 0.0% 0 Preston Borough Council 10 10 5 0.0% 0 Redcar and Cleveland Council 15 15 5 0.0% 0 Reigate & Banstead Borough Council 7 7 10 0.0% 0 Rhondda Cynon Taff County Borough Council 14 14 6 0.0% 0 Ribble Valley Borough Council 10 10 8 0.0% 0 Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council 30 30 6 0.0% 0 Rother District Council 15 15 8 0.0% 0 Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council 20 20 5 0.0% 0 Runnymede Borough Council 15 15 6 0.0% 0 Rushmoor Borough Council 10 10 4 0.0% 0 Sevenoaks District Council 10 10 5 0.0% 0 Sheffield City Council 25 25 3 0.0% 0 Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council 10 10 7 0.0% 0 Somerset Council (Mendip District Council) 10 10 3 0.0% 0 Somerset Council (Sedgemoor District Council) 10 10 3 0.0% 0 Somerset Council (Somerset West and Taunton Council) 8 8 – 0.0% 0 South Buckinghamshire District Council 5 5 – 0.0% 0 South Hams District Council 10 10 9 0.0% 0 South Holland District Council 10 10 5 0.0% 0 South Oxfordshire District Council 10 10 5 0.0% 0 South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council 20 20 8 0.0% 0 Southampton City Council 5 5 11 0.0% 0 Southend-on-Sea Borough Council 2 2 15 0.0% 0 Stockton on Tees Council 10 10 4 0.0% 0 Stroud District Council 15 15 3 0.0% 0 Sunderland Metropolitan Borough Council 20 20 17 0.0% 0 Surrey Heath Borough Council 7 7 10 0.0% 0 Swansea City and Borough Council 10 10 19 0.0% 0 Swindon Borough Council 10 10 9 0.0% 0 Tandridge District Council 14 14 3 0.0% 0 Teignbridge District Council 10 10 7 0.0% 0 Tendring District Council 5 5 10 0.0% 0 Tewkesbury Borough Council 30 30 11 0.0% 0 Three Rivers District Council 10 10 7 0.0% 0 Thurrock District Council 25 25 14 0.0% 0 Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council 5 5 6 0.0% 0 Uttlesford District Council 7 7 4 0.0% 0 Vale of Glamorgan Council 30 30 6 0.0% 0 Vale of White Horse District Council 8 8 6 0.0% 0 Warwick District Council 10 10 4 0.0% 0 Wealden District Council 10 10 10 0.0% 0 West Lindsey District Council 10 10 5 0.0% 0 West Northamptonshire Council (Northampton Borough Council) 7 7 3 0.0% 0 West Northamptonshire Council (South Northamptonshire District Council) 10 10 5 0.0% 0 West Oxfordshire District Council 20 20 7 0.0% 0 Westmorland and Furness Council (Barrow in Furness Borough Council) 20 20 5 0.0% 0 Woking Borough Council 10 10 4 0.0% 0 Wokingham District Council 5 5 17 0.0% 0 Wolverhampton City Council 10 10 5 0.0% 0 Worcester City Council 10 10 8 0.0% 0 Wyre Borough Council 12 12 11 0.0% 0 Fylde Borough Council 11 10 5 -9.1% -1 London Borough of Camden 40 35 22 -12.5% -5 Charnwood Borough Council 7 6 18 -14.3% -1 Denbighshire County Council 12 10 18 -16.7% -2 Winchester City Council 12 10 13 -16.7% -2 Boston Borough Council 10 8 7 -20.0% -2 Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council 25 20 5 -20.0% -5 West Lancashire Borough Council 25 20 5 -20.0% -5 Great Yarmouth Borough Council 45 35 16 -22.2% -10 Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council 13 10 9 -23.1% -3 Amber Valley Borough Council 20 15 18 -25.0% -5 Forest of Dean District Council 20 15 9 -25.0% -5 London Borough of Harrow 20 15 10 -25.0% -5 Northumberland County Council (Unitary) 20 15 9 -25.0% -5 Portsmouth City Council 20 15 11 -25.0% -5 Rushcliffe Borough Council 20 15 22 -25.0% -5 South Cambridgeshire District Council 20 15 12 -25.0% -5 Thanet District Council 20 15 7 -25.0% -5 Welwyn Hatfield Council 20 15 4 -25.0% -5 Tamworth Borough Council 55 40 12 -27.3% -15 Mansfield District Council 35 25 22 -28.6% -10 East Hampshire District Council 17 12 19 -29.4% -5 Rugby Borough Council 10 7 17 -30.0% -3 Rutland County Council 10 7 3 -30.0% -3 West Devon Borough Council 10 7 10 -30.0% -3 Burnley Borough Council 15 10 35 -33.3% -5 Cheshire West and Chester Borough Council (Unitary) 15 10 18 -33.3% -5 Dartford Borough Council 15 10 9 -33.3% -5 Derby City Council 15 10 17 -33.3% -5 Halton Borough Council 15 10 5 -33.3% -5 London Borough of Southwark 15 10 9 -33.3% -5 North Tyneside Council 15 10 6 -33.3% -5 Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea 15 10 9 -33.3% -5 Broxbourne Borough Council 23 15 9 -34.8% -8 Rochford District Council 23 15 7 -34.8% -8 Spelthorne Borough Council 8 5 5 -37.5% -3 North Somerset Council 16 10 3 -37.5% -6 Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead 16 10 9 -37.5% -6 Hart District Council 13 8 3 -38.5% -5 Guildford Borough Council 5 3 4 -40.0% -2 South Gloucestershire Council 15 9 3 -40.0% -6 London Borough of Hillingdon 20 12 14 -40.0% -8 Stratford On Avon District Council 20 12 4 -40.0% -8 Epsom & Ewell Borough Council 25 15 12 -40.0% -10 London Borough of Brent 25 15 7 -40.0% -10 North Warwickshire Borough Council 25 15 13 -40.0% -10 Watford Borough Council 25 15 4 -40.0% -10 Wrexham County Borough Council 25 15 7 -40.0% -10 London Borough of Havering Council 17 10 20 -41.2% -7 St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council 73 40 35 -45.2% -33 Broadland District Council 15 8 7 -46.7% -7 Eastleigh Borough Council 15 8 7 -46.7% -7 South Norfolk District Council 15 8 6 -46.7% -7 East Devon District Council 8 4 3 -50.0% -4 Bradford City Metro District Council 10 5 6 -50.0% -5 Castle Point Borough Council 10 5 10 -50.0% -5 London Borough of Hounslow 10 5 11 -50.0% -5 London Borough of Richmond-upon-Thames 10 5 10 -50.0% -5 London Borough of Wandsworth 10 5 3 -50.0% -5 Malvern Hills District Council 10 5 5 -50.0% -5 Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council 10 5 7 -50.0% -5 Waverley Borough Council 10 5 6 -50.0% -5 Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole (Bournemouth Borough Council) 20 10 7 -50.0% -10 Ceredigion County Council 20 10 15 -50.0% -10 Chichester District Council 20 10 4 -50.0% -10 Dorset Council (East Dorset District Council) 20 10 7 -50.0% -10 Dorset Council (North Dorset District Council) 20 10 6 -50.0% -10 Dorset Council (Purbeck District Council) 20 10 9 -50.0% -10 East Lindsey District Council 20 10 3 -50.0% -10 Liverpool City Council 20 10 8 -50.0% -10 London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham 20 10 9 -50.0% -10 Maldon District Council 20 10 12 -50.0% -10 North Lincolnshire Council 20 10 4 -50.0% -10 North Norfolk District Council 20 10 4 -50.0% -10 North West Leicestershire District Council 20 10 3 -50.0% -10 North Yorkshire Council (Harrogate Council) 20 10 5 -50.0% -10 Reading Borough Council 20 10 9 -50.0% -10 Torridge District Council 20 10 9 -50.0% -10 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council 20 10 9 -50.0% -10 Wiltshire Council (Unitary) 20 10 7 -50.0% -10 Canterbury City Council 30 15 9 -50.0% -15 North Northamptonshire Council (Kettering Borough Council) 30 15 10 -50.0% -15 Royal Borough of Greenwich 25 12 8 -52.0% -13 Blaby District Council 15 7 5 -53.3% -8 Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council 15 7 9 -53.3% -8 Mid Devon District Council 15 7 5 -53.3% -8 Oadby & Wigston Borough Council 15 7 8 -53.3% -8 Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council 15 7 4 -53.3% -8 Chelmsford City Council 22 10 3 -54.5% -12 East Staffordshire Borough Council 55 25 12 -54.5% -30 Newcastle under Lyme Borough Council 55 25 25 -54.5% -30 Salford City Council 45 20 7 -55.6% -25 Cherwell District Council 16 7 8 -56.3% -9 Maidstone Borough Council 16 7 7 -56.3% -9 Swale Borough Council 16 7 8 -56.3% -9 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council 16 7 15 -56.3% -9 Ashfield District Council 23 10 5 -56.5% -13 Somerset Council (South Somerset District Council) 23 10 5 -56.5% -13 Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council 35 15 11 -57.1% -20 Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole (Christchurch Borough Council) 25 10 6 -60.0% -15 Caerphilly County Borough Council 25 10 16 -60.0% -15 London Borough of Hackney 25 10 180 -60.0% -15 South Kesteven District Council 50 20 5 -60.0% -30 Newcastle upon Tyne City Council 40 15 30 -62.5% -25 Stafford Borough Council 55 20 7 -63.6% -35 Stoke on Trent City Council 55 20 16 -63.6% -35 Pembrokeshire County Council 35 12 5 -65.7% -23 Torfaen County Borough Council 35 12 5 -65.7% -23 Melton Borough Council 15 5 6 -66.7% -10 North Yorkshire Council (Ryedale District Council) 15 5 5 -66.7% -10 Dorset Council (West Dorset District Council) 30 10 9 -66.7% -20 Dorset Council (Weymouth & Portland Borough Council) 30 10 9 -66.7% -20 North Yorkshire Council (Craven District Council) 30 10 5 -66.7% -20 Plymouth City Council 30 10 6 -66.7% -20 Royal Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames 30 10 7 -66.7% -20 St Albans City Council 30 10 12 -66.7% -20 West Suffolk Council 20 6 – -70.0% -14 Durham County Council (Unitary) 50 15 30 -70.0% -35 Ashford Borough Council 35 10 12 -71.4% -25 Warrington Borough Council 35 10 5 -71.4% -25 Rossendale Borough Council 25 7 18 -72.0% -18 North Yorkshire Council (Hambleton District Council) 18 5 4 -72.2% -13 Epping Forest District Council 55 15 4 -72.7% -40 South Staffordshire District Council 55 14 15 -74.5% -41 Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole (Poole Borough Council) 20 5 6 -75.0% -15 Kingston upon Hull City Council 20 5 3 -75.0% -15 Oxford City Council 62 15 9 -75.8% -47 Cannock Chase District Council 55 12 8 -78.2% -43 Lichfield District Council 55 10 12 -81.8% -45 Staffordshire Moorlands District Council 55 10 10 -81.8% -45 South Derbyshire District Council 30 5 7 -83.3% -25 Gloucester City Council 177 10 4 -94.4% -167 Average 17 13 10 -22.5% -4 Planning Authority Search turnaround times data sourced from PSD