Argyll & Bute planning approval rate

Argyll & Bute council approved 95.7% of planning applications and refused 4.3%, based on 3,738 decisions analysed. Ranked 195th out of 221 councils for strictness.

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

95.7%

overall approval rate

3,738

Decisions analysed

3,577

Approved

161

Refused

Wards covered

Planning in Argyll & Bute? 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 Argyll & Bute. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.

Other (3,738 decided)

95.7%

Approval rate by project type

These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Argyll & Bute — mined from 3,738 proposal descriptions.

New Build (858 decided)

94.8%

Extension (General) (408 decided)

98.0%

Garage / Parking (330 decided)

95.5%

Outbuilding (251 decided)

95.6%

Change of Use (Residential) (183 decided)

94.5%

Rear Extension (74 decided)

98.6%

Conservatory (71 decided)

95.8%

Dormer (52 decided)

96.2%

Side Extension (40 decided)

97.5%

Annex (20 decided)

100.0%

Front Extension (11 decided)

100.0%

Approval rate by ward

Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Argyll & Bute. Click any ward for detailed statistics.

Oban North And Lorn (664 decided)

95.8%

Oban South And The Isles (555 decided)

95.9%

Kintyre And The Islands (493 decided)

95.5%

Mid Argyll (375 decided)

98.1%

Cowal (321 decided)

94.7%

Helensburgh Central (319 decided)

96.2%

Lomond North (267 decided)

96.3%

South Kintyre (226 decided)

97.3%

Isle Of Bute (216 decided)

94.4%

Dunoon (167 decided)

93.4%

Helensburgh And Lomond South (119 decided)

89.9%

Wards in Argyll & Bute

Oban North And Lorn

95.8% approval · 664 decisions

Oban South And The Isles

95.9% approval · 555 decisions

Kintyre And The Islands

95.5% approval · 493 decisions

Mid Argyll

98.1% approval · 375 decisions

Cowal

94.7% approval · 321 decisions

Helensburgh Central

96.2% approval · 319 decisions

Lomond North

96.3% approval · 267 decisions

South Kintyre

97.3% approval · 226 decisions

Isle Of Bute

94.4% approval · 216 decisions

Dunoon

93.4% approval · 167 decisions

Helensburgh And Lomond South

89.9% approval · 119 decisions

Recent comparable decisions

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

14/00325/HYDRO

Erection of new double pole · Kintyre And The Islands · Fri 31 Jan 2014

Approved

14/00204/LIB

Installation of replacement doors · Kintyre And The Islands · Wed 29 Jan 2014

Approved

14/00217/PP

Erection of dwellinghouse, formation of vehicular access and installation of pri · Mid Argyll · Mon 27 Jan 2014

Approved

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

What gets approved near your property?

In Argyll & Bute, 1 in 23 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 Argyll & Bute
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect

Get Argyll & Bute Pro Report — £79

Less than one set of revised drawings. Based on 3,738 decisions.

Compare with nearby councils

Highland Stirling Glasgow

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