Which ward in Aberdeenshire has the highest planning approval rate?

Ellon And District at 100.0% based on 106 decisions.

Which ward in Aberdeenshire has the lowest planning approval rate?

Peterhead North And Rattray at 88.1% based on 84 decisions.

How much do planning approval rates vary across Aberdeenshire?

There is a 11.9% gap between Ellon And District and Peterhead North And Rattray. 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 11.9% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

2,809 real decisions·19 wards·Updated June 2026

95.8% approved overall. But 117 applications refused since 2020. Where you live in Aberdeenshire shifts your odds by up to 11.9%. The council average doesn't tell you which side of that gap you're on.

Check Planning Approval Patterns in Aberdeenshire

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All 19 wards ranked

#	Ward	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	Ellon And District	106	106	0	100.0%
2	Aboyne, Upper Deeside And Donside	347	341	6	98.3%
3	Westhill And District	101	99	2	98.0%
4	Banchory And Mid-Deeside	146	143	3	97.9%
5	Mearns	225	219	6	97.3%
6	Inverurie And District	72	70	2	97.2%
7	North Kincardine	126	122	4	96.8%
8	Turriff And District	150	145	5	96.7%
9	Peterhead South And Cruden	86	83	3	96.5%
10	West Garioch	112	108	4	96.4%
11	East Garioch	102	98	4	96.1%
12	Stonehaven And Lower Deeside	206	198	8	96.1%
13	Huntly, Strathbogie And Howe Of Alford	273	260	13	95.2%
14	Mid-Formartine	155	147	8	94.8%
15	Fraserburgh And District	66	62	4	93.9%
16	Banff And District	157	147	10	93.6%
17	Central Buchan	195	181	14	92.8%
18	Troup	96	85	11	88.5%
19	Peterhead North And Rattray	84	74	10	88.1%

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 Peterhead North And Rattray.
Check your postcode to see what actually happens near your address.

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What the data tells us

A 11.9% gap separates the best and worst wards. Ellon And District approves 100.0% of applications while Peterhead North And Rattray approves just 88.1%. 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

117 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 2,809 planning decisions in Aberdeenshire, January 2020 to present. 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 →