Which ward in Aberdeenshire has the highest planning approval rate?

Banchory And Mid-Deeside at 100.0% based on 66 decisions.

Which ward in Aberdeenshire has the lowest planning approval rate?

Peterhead North And Rattray at 93.3% based on 15 decisions.

How much do planning approval rates vary across Aberdeenshire?

There is a 6.7% gap between Banchory And Mid-Deeside 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 6.7% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

1,022 real decisions·19 wards·Updated March 2026

98.8% approved overall. But 12 applications refused since 2020. Where you live in Aberdeenshire shifts your odds by up to 6.7%. 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	Banchory And Mid-Deeside	66	66	0	100.0%
2	Huntly, Strathbogie And Howe Of Alford	137	137	0	100.0%
3	North Kincardine	51	51	0	100.0%
4	West Garioch	44	44	0	100.0%
5	Turriff And District	41	41	0	100.0%
6	Inverurie And District	12	12	0	100.0%
7	Central Buchan	51	51	0	100.0%
8	Peterhead South And Cruden	16	16	0	100.0%
9	Ellon And District	38	38	0	100.0%
10	Aboyne, Upper Deeside And Donside	162	161	1	99.4%
11	Stonehaven And Lower Deeside	100	99	1	99.0%
12	Mearns	88	87	1	98.9%
13	Mid-Formartine	53	52	1	98.1%
14	East Garioch	25	24	1	96.0%
15	Westhill And District	22	21	1	95.5%
16	Troup	21	20	1	95.2%
17	Banff And District	61	58	3	95.1%
18	Fraserburgh And District	16	15	1	93.8%
19	Peterhead North And Rattray	15	14	1	93.3%

See how this applies to your postcode →

These are council averages. Your property is specific.

An extension might sail through in Banchory And Mid-Deeside 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 6.7% gap separates the best and worst wards. Banchory And Mid-Deeside approves 100.0% of applications while Peterhead North And Rattray approves just 93.3%. 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

12 planning applications in Aberdeenshire have been refused since 2020. Many of those homeowners had already paid for drawings and application fees. A £79 report shows you what gets approved — and what gets refused — near your property.

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More Aberdeenshire planning data

Methodology: Covers 1,022 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 →