Aberdeenshire planning approval rate

Aberdeenshire council approved 98.8% of planning applications and refused 1.2%, based on 1,022 decisions analysed. Ranked 219th out of 221 councils for strictness.

Last updated: March 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to present

98.8%

overall approval rate

1,022

Decisions analysed

1,010

Approved

Refused

Wards covered

Planning in Aberdeenshire? 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 Aberdeenshire. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.

Prior Approval (481 decided)

100.0%

Trees (255 decided)

98.8%

Full (215 decided)

97.2%

Other (26 decided)

92.3%

Certificate of Lawfulness (20 decided)

95.0%

Advertisement (15 decided)

100.0%

Approval rate by project type

These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Aberdeenshire — mined from 1,022 proposal descriptions.

Extension (General) (125 decided)

100.0%

Garage / Parking (39 decided)

97.4%

Outbuilding (37 decided)

97.3%

New Build (35 decided)

82.9%

Approval rate by ward

Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Aberdeenshire. Click any ward for detailed statistics.

Aboyne, Upper Deeside And Donside (162 decided)

99.4%

Huntly, Strathbogie And Howe Of Alford (137 decided)

100.0%

Stonehaven And Lower Deeside (100 decided)

99.0%

Mearns (88 decided)

98.9%

Banchory And Mid-Deeside (66 decided)

100.0%

Banff And District (61 decided)

95.1%

Mid-Formartine (53 decided)

98.1%

North Kincardine (51 decided)

100.0%

Central Buchan (51 decided)

100.0%

West Garioch (44 decided)

100.0%

Turriff And District (41 decided)

100.0%

Ellon And District (38 decided)

100.0%

East Garioch (25 decided)

96.0%

Westhill And District (22 decided)

95.5%

Troup (21 decided)

95.2%

Wards in Aberdeenshire

Aboyne, Upper Deeside And Donside

99.4% approval · 162 decisions

Huntly, Strathbogie And Howe Of Alford

100.0% approval · 137 decisions

Stonehaven And Lower Deeside

99.0% approval · 100 decisions

Mearns

98.9% approval · 88 decisions

Banchory And Mid-Deeside

100.0% approval · 66 decisions

Banff And District

95.1% approval · 61 decisions

Mid-Formartine

98.1% approval · 53 decisions

North Kincardine

100.0% approval · 51 decisions

Central Buchan

100.0% approval · 51 decisions

West Garioch

100.0% approval · 44 decisions

Turriff And District

100.0% approval · 41 decisions

Ellon And District

100.0% approval · 38 decisions

East Garioch

96.0% approval · 25 decisions

Westhill And District

95.5% approval · 22 decisions

Troup

95.2% approval · 21 decisions

Recent comparable decisions

The most recent residential planning decisions in Aberdeenshire, showing how the council decides real applications.

APP/2026/0292

Erection of Agricultural Building · Huntly, Strathbogie And Howe Of Alford · Thu 05 Mar 2026

Approved

APP/2026/0216

Alterations and Extension to Dwellinghouse · Stonehaven And Lower Deeside · Thu 05 Mar 2026

Approved

APP/2026/0178

Alterations and Extension to Dwellinghosue (Garage) · Huntly, Strathbogie And Howe Of Alford · Wed 04 Mar 2026

Approved

Showing 3 of 200 comparable decisions. See all 200 in the Pro Report →

What gets approved near your property?

In Aberdeenshire, 1 in 83 applications are refused. Your PlanningLens Pro Report gives you 17 pages of intelligence specific to your property:

✓ Ward-level approval rates for your exact area
✓ Common refusal reasons in Aberdeenshire
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect

Get Aberdeenshire Pro Report — £79

Less than one set of revised drawings. Based on 1,022 decisions.

Compare with nearby councils

Aberdeen Angus Moray Highland

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