Argyll & Bute Council approves 95.9% of planning applications, based on 4,552 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. Argyll & Bute sits 7.3 percentage points above the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 4,552 decided applications published since January 2020, Argyll & Bute Council approved 95.9% of planning applications. The national average approval rate across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Argyll & Bute council planning portal records · Updated August 2026 · Quote freely with attribution
Enter your postcode for a free, personalised approval pattern report, based on your ward and application type.
Not all applications are treated equally. Extension types, listed building consent, and change of use applications each have very different success rates in Argyll & Bute.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 4,131 | 184 | 4,315 | 95.7% |
| Prior Approval | 109 | 0 | 109 | 100.0% |
| Listed Building | 78 | 0 | 78 | 100.0% |
| Trees | 32 | 1 | 33 | 97.0% |
| Advertisement | 12 | 0 | 12 | 100.0% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 4 | 1 | 5 | 80.0% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oban North And Lorn | 783 | 34 | 817 | 95.8% |
| Oban South And The Isles | 648 | 28 | 676 | 95.9% |
| Kintyre And The Islands | 621 | 27 | 648 | 95.8% |
| Mid Argyll | 465 | 11 | 476 | 97.7% |
| Helensburgh Central | 361 | 12 | 373 | 96.8% |
| Lomond North | 336 | 13 | 349 | 96.3% |
| Cowal | 326 | 18 | 344 | 94.8% |
| South Kintyre | 266 | 6 | 272 | 97.8% |
| Isle Of Bute | 241 | 12 | 253 | 95.3% |
| Dunoon | 172 | 12 | 184 | 93.5% |
| Helensburgh And Lomond South | 131 | 12 | 143 | 91.6% |
| Not Specified | 5 | 0 | 5 | 100.0% |
How Argyll & Bute’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, down 3.2pp since 2025.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from Argyll & Bute council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| 26/01161/CLWP Kintyre And The Islands | Erection of ancillary shed/storage to replace ruined stone built shed | Approved |
| 26/01067/LIB Mid Argyll | Installation of 2 replacement windows | Approved |
| 26/01066/PP Mid Argyll | Installation of 2 replacement windows | Approved |
| 26/00408/PP Mid Argyll | Erection of dwellinghouse | Approved |
| 26/01107/PP Kintyre And The Islands | Erection of dwellinghouse with attached garage, installation of sewage treatment | Approved |
| 26/00960/PP Helensburgh Central | Proposed repainting of shopfront | Approved |
| 26/00779/PP Oban North And Lorn | Proposed erection of two 3 bedroom homes using prefabricated off-site methods | Approved |
| 26/00447/PP Kintyre And The Islands | Alterations to restaurant including demolition of existing conservatory, erectio | Approved |
| 26/00551/PP Oban North And Lorn | Erection of small louvred external plant enclosure to house replacement plant ro | Approved |
| 25/01932/PP Mid Argyll | Alterations and extension to dwellinghouse and formation of vehicular access | 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 Argyll & Bute's 4,552 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare Argyll & Bute's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
Dig deeper into Argyll & Bute'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 Argyll & Bute. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 4,552 real decisions from Argyll & Bute 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 Argyll & Bute'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 4,552 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Argyll & Bute is 95.9%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 4,552 planning decisions from Argyll & Bute council. 4,366 were approved and 186 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in Argyll & Bute is 95.9%, 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 Argyll & Bute? 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.