Aberdeen planning approval rate
Aberdeen council approved 94.2% of planning applications and refused 5.8%, based on 21,779 decisions analysed. Ranked 209th out of 284 councils for strictness.
Last updated: June 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to present
94.2%
overall approval rate
21,779
Decisions analysed
20,519
Approved
1,260
Refused
14
Wards covered
Planning in Aberdeen? Check your postcode to see approval rates specific to your ward and street.
Approval rate by application type
Different application types have different approval rates in Aberdeen. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.
94.3%
91.4%
80.4%
93.3%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Aberdeen, mined from 21,779 proposal descriptions.
96.0%
91.1%
94.2%
85.5%
96.3%
94.3%
97.7%
96.7%
88.0%
88.2%
94.9%
88.3%
83.0%
92.6%
95.2%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Aberdeen. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
Hazlehead/Queen's Cross/Countesswells
94.5%
Lower Deeside
93.2%
Torry/Ferryhill
93.6%
George Street/Harbour
92.9%
Mid Stocket/Rosemount
94.8%
Dyce/Bucksburn/Danestone
93.9%
Airyhall/Broomhill/Garthdee
95.0%
Kincorth/Nigg/Cove
96.1%
Bridge Of Don
95.2%
Tillydrone/Seaton/Old Aberdeen
92.9%
Kingswells/Sheddocksley/Summerhill
96.4%
Hilton/Woodside/Stockethill
93.6%
Northfield/Mastrick North
92.4%
Wards in Aberdeen
Hazlehead/Queen's Cross/Countesswells
94.5% approval · 3,874 decisions
Lower Deeside
93.2% approval · 2,755 decisions
Torry/Ferryhill
93.6% approval · 2,208 decisions
George Street/Harbour
92.9% approval · 2,167 decisions
Mid Stocket/Rosemount
94.8% approval · 2,020 decisions
Dyce/Bucksburn/Danestone
93.9% approval · 1,877 decisions
Airyhall/Broomhill/Garthdee
95.0% approval · 1,511 decisions
Kincorth/Nigg/Cove
96.1% approval · 1,402 decisions
Bridge Of Don
95.2% approval · 1,339 decisions
Tillydrone/Seaton/Old Aberdeen
92.9% approval · 906 decisions
Kingswells/Sheddocksley/Summerhill
96.4% approval · 887 decisions
Hilton/Woodside/Stockethill
93.6% approval · 531 decisions
Northfield/Mastrick North
92.4% approval · 278 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in Aberdeen, showing how the council decides real applications.
Change of use from class 1A (shops, financial professional and other services) t · George Street/Harbour · Fri 26 Jun 2026
Erection of gable extension and installation of dormer and vestibule to front an · Lower Deeside · Fri 26 Jun 2026
Change of use of guest house to short-term let accommodation with maximum occupa · Kincorth/Nigg/Cove · Thu 25 Jun 2026
Showing 3 of 200 comparable decisions. See all 200 in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In Aberdeen, 1 in 17 applications are refused. Your PlanningLens Full Planning Analysis gives you 17 pages of intelligence specific to your property:
✓ Ward-level approval rates for your exact area
✓ Common refusal reasons in Aberdeen
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for Aberdeen →
✓ Common refusal reasons in Aberdeen
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free. Based on 21,779 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in Aberdeen
What is the planning approval rate in Aberdeen?
Based on 21,779 planning decisions analysed since 2020, Aberdeen approved 94.2% of applications and refused 5.8%. The council is ranked 209th out of 284 UK councils for approval rate.
How many planning applications are refused in Aberdeen?
Aberdeen refuses 5.8% of planning applications, roughly 1 in 17. That is lower than the UK average of 11.7%. Out of 21,779 decided applications since 2020, 1,260 were refused. PlanningLens lets you check any postcode to see which applications were refused near a specific property.
Which areas of Aberdeen have the highest planning approval rates?
The highest approval rates in Aberdeen are in Kingswells/Sheddocksley/Summerhill (96.4%), Kincorth/Nigg/Cove (96.1%), and Bridge Of Don (95.2%). Approval rates vary significantly by ward, see the full ward breakdown above.
What types of planning application are most common in Aberdeen?
The most common planning application types in Aberdeen are: Other (21,628 decisions, 94.3% approved), Listed Building (70, 91.4%), and Advertisement (46, 80.4%).
How long does a planning application take in Aberdeen?
Planning applications in Aberdeen take an average of 11.9 weeks to reach a decision, measured across 480 decisions with a recorded timeline. That is slower than the 8-week statutory target for householder applications (the statutory targets are 8 weeks for householder applications and 13 weeks for major developments). PlanningLens measures the actual time each application takes, not just the target. Aberdeen decides approximately 3,630 planning applications per year.
How do I check planning applications in Aberdeen?
You can search planning applications in Aberdeen directly on the council's official planning portal. PlanningLens also lets you check any postcode against 21,779 historical decisions in Aberdeen to see what's been approved and refused near a specific property.
How is PlanningLens approval rate data for Aberdeen calculated?
PlanningLens scrapes Aberdeen's official planning portal and analyses every published decision since January 2020. The approval rate is calculated as approved decisions divided by total decided applications, excluding withdrawn and pending applications. The full methodology, data sourcing, and Creative Commons BY 4.0 licensing terms are published at planninglens.co.uk/methodology.