Aberdeenshire Council approves 95.8% of planning applications, based on 2,938 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. Aberdeenshire sits 7.2 percentage points above the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 1,164 decided applications, Aberdeenshire Council approved 94.2% of planning applications in 2025. Across 2,938 decisions analysed since January 2020, the overall approval rate in Aberdeenshire is 95.8%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Aberdeenshire council planning portal records · Updated August 2026 · Quote freely with attribution
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Not all applications are treated equally. Extension types, listed building consent, and change of use applications each have very different success rates in Aberdeenshire.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | 1,479 | 66 | 1,545 | 95.7% |
| Prior Approval | 560 | 3 | 563 | 99.5% |
| Trees | 344 | 9 | 353 | 97.5% |
| Other | 160 | 31 | 191 | 83.8% |
| Listed Building | 144 | 10 | 154 | 93.5% |
| Advertisement | 77 | 0 | 77 | 100.0% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 47 | 5 | 52 | 90.4% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 3 | 0 | 3 | 100.0% |
A loft conversion in one ward can have a 90% approval rate. In the next ward, 55%. The free check tells you which side you're on, your free property report is emailed in minutes.
Check My PostcodeWard-level data reveals where planning applications are most and least likely to succeed. Officers, local policies, and neighbourhood character all play a role.
| Ward | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aboyne, Upper Deeside And Donside | 357 | 6 | 363 | 98.3% |
| Huntly, Strathbogie And Howe Of Alford | 264 | 13 | 277 | 95.3% |
| Mearns | 228 | 7 | 235 | 97.0% |
| Stonehaven And Lower Deeside | 206 | 10 | 216 | 95.4% |
| Central Buchan | 180 | 14 | 194 | 92.8% |
| Mid-Formartine | 164 | 8 | 172 | 95.3% |
| Banff And District | 157 | 10 | 167 | 94.0% |
| Turriff And District | 146 | 7 | 153 | 95.4% |
| Banchory And Mid-Deeside | 149 | 3 | 152 | 98.0% |
| North Kincardine | 125 | 4 | 129 | 96.9% |
| West Garioch | 110 | 4 | 114 | 96.5% |
| Ellon And District | 113 | 0 | 113 | 100.0% |
| Westhill And District | 105 | 2 | 107 | 98.1% |
| East Garioch | 100 | 4 | 104 | 96.2% |
| Peterhead North And Rattray | 88 | 11 | 99 | 88.9% |
| Troup | 87 | 11 | 98 | 88.8% |
| Peterhead South And Cruden | 87 | 4 | 91 | 95.6% |
| Inverurie And District | 74 | 2 | 76 | 97.4% |
| Fraserburgh And District | 70 | 4 | 74 | 94.6% |
How Aberdeenshire’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, down 3.5pp since 2021.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from Aberdeenshire council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| APP/2026/1076 North Kincardine | Erection of Shed and Formation of Patio | Approved |
| APP/2026/1017 Westhill And District | Part Change of Use of Member Warehouse (Sui Generis) to Ophthalmic Services (Cla | Approved |
| APP/2026/0991 East Garioch | Erection of Slurry Tower | Approved |
| APP/2026/0948 West Garioch | Alterations and Extension to Dwellinghouse | Approved |
| APP/2026/0921 Aboyne, Upper Deeside And Donside | Erection of Short Term Letting Accommodation and Erection of Decking | Approved |
| APP/2026/0855 Stonehaven And Lower Deeside | Erection of 3 Dwellinghouses (Change of House Type, Plot Layout and Levels of Pl | Approved |
| APP/2026/0641 East Garioch | Erection of Vehicle Sales Building | Approved |
| APP/2026/0521 Stonehaven And Lower Deeside | Change of Use of Land to Class 3 (Food and Drink) to Form Outdoor Seating Area A | Refused |
| APP/2026/1195 Mid-Formartine | Erection of Agricultural Building | Approved |
| APP/2026/1089 Peterhead South And Cruden | Erection of Dwellinghouse (Change of Housetype to Planning Permission Reference | Approved |
Find out what actually gets approved near your address first. Your free property report analyses the 20 nearest decisions to your property, ward-specific refusal patterns, and extension-by-extension approval patterns. Based on Aberdeenshire's 2,938 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare Aberdeenshire's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
Dig deeper into Aberdeenshire's planning statistics, by ward, extension type, or project category:
Data-driven guides to help you understand planning approval patterns:
Yes. PlanningLens offers a free planning permission check for Aberdeenshire. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 2,938 real decisions from Aberdeenshire council. The full property-specific report is also free and emailed within minutes.
Enter your postcode on PlanningLens for a free instant check based on Aberdeenshire's real planning decisions. The free property report goes further: it analyses the 20 nearest comparable decisions to your property, ward-level refusal patterns, and approval rates by application type. Free and emailed within minutes.
Based on 2,938 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Aberdeenshire is 95.8%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 2,938 planning decisions from Aberdeenshire council. 2,814 were approved and 124 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in Aberdeenshire is 95.8%, but outcomes depend heavily on your specific ward, the type of extension or development you are proposing, and local planning policy. Use the free PlanningLens postcode check to get a personalised score.
Writing about planning in Aberdeenshire? These figures are free to republish with attribution. Copy the one-line citation, or paste the stat box into any website, CMS or newsletter, it carries its own styling and links back to this page for verification.