Which ward in Aberdeenshire has the highest planning approval rate?

Ellon And District at 100.0% based on 113 decisions.

Which ward in Aberdeenshire has the lowest planning approval rate?

Troup at 88.8% based on 98 decisions.

How much do planning approval rates vary across Aberdeenshire?

There is a 11.2% gap between Ellon And District and Troup. Your postcode significantly affects outcomes.

Planning Approval Rates by Ward in Aberdeenshire

Planning outcomes in Aberdeenshire are highly localised. The gap between the most and least permissive wards is 11.2% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

2,938 real decisions·19 wards·Updated August 2026

95.8% approved overall. But 124 applications refused since 2020. Where you live in Aberdeenshire shifts your odds by up to 11.2%. The council average doesn't tell you which side of that gap you're on.

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All 19 wards ranked

#	Ward	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	Ellon And District	113	113	0	100.0%
2	Aboyne, Upper Deeside And Donside	363	357	6	98.3%
3	Westhill And District	107	105	2	98.1%
4	Banchory And Mid-Deeside	152	149	3	98.0%
5	Inverurie And District	76	74	2	97.4%
6	Mearns	235	228	7	97.0%
7	North Kincardine	129	125	4	96.9%
8	West Garioch	114	110	4	96.5%
9	East Garioch	104	100	4	96.2%
10	Peterhead South And Cruden	91	87	4	95.6%
11	Stonehaven And Lower Deeside	216	206	10	95.4%
12	Turriff And District	153	146	7	95.4%
13	Mid-Formartine	172	164	8	95.3%
14	Huntly, Strathbogie And Howe Of Alford	277	264	13	95.3%
15	Fraserburgh And District	74	70	4	94.6%
16	Banff And District	167	157	10	94.0%
17	Central Buchan	194	180	14	92.8%
18	Peterhead North And Rattray	99	88	11	88.9%
19	Troup	98	87	11	88.8%

See how this applies to your postcode →

These are council averages. Your property is specific.

An extension might sail through in Ellon And District but face serious resistance in Troup.
Check your postcode to see what actually happens near your address.

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What the data tells us

A 11.2% gap separates the best and worst wards. Ellon And District approves 100.0% of applications while Troup approves just 88.8%. That's a fundamentally different planning environment.

High volume doesn't mean high approval. Some of the busiest wards aren't the most permissive. The number of applications a ward processes tells you nothing about how likely yours is to succeed.

Ward averages are a starting point, not a guarantee. Your specific outcome depends on your property, your neighbours, your proposal type and the comparable decisions near your address.

Before you spend £5,000+ on architects and drawings

124 planning applications in Aberdeenshire have been refused since 2020. Many of those homeowners had already paid for drawings and application fees. A free, property-specific report shows you what gets approved — and what gets refused — near your property.

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More Aberdeenshire planning data

Methodology: Covers 2,938 planning decisions in Aberdeenshire, January 2020 to August 2026. Approval rate = approved / (approved + refused). Pending, withdrawn and invalid excluded. Ward boundaries reflect current electoral divisions. Data from Aberdeenshire Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →