63,497 applications for planning permission in England and Wales in May 2021 – up 52 per cent compared with May 2020.
Across all regions in England and Wales, the number of planning applications increased in May 2021 compared with a year earlier. For the third month in a row, the North East is the leading region in the number submitted, up 67 per cent compared with May 2020.
As they have done since the first lockdown, home improvement applications continue to outperform the average rise in applications. In May this year, householder consents were 88 per cent higher than in May 2020, against a total increase of 52 per cent.