HOME renovation bids have tumbled in the south of the county more than anywhere else in England during lockdown.

Planning applications for “large home improvements” fell by more than a third (37 per cent) in South Buckinghamshire between April and June this year, the largest decrease in the country.

There were 498 planning submissions between April and June, compared to 791 for the same period in 2019, according to fresh data from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).

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Out of the nearly 500 applications made, 450 were granted permission and 48 were rejected, costing homeowners an estimated £10,000 in “wasted” application fees.

Across England, planning submissions fell by 8.5 per cent from 255,575 between April and June last year, to 233,805 for the same period in 2020.

The fall in South Buckinghamshire is almost four-times that amount.

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The research also revealed more than 90 per cent of planning applications for the south of the county had been given approval over the past three years.

This makes South Buckinghamshire the “210th easiest place” to received planning permission in England.

Eight out of the top ten most difficult are in London.

Speaking of the tumble in applications during lockdown, a spokesperson for Roofing Megastore said the decrease suggests residents are “keen to put home improvement plans on hold” during the pandemic.

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