Which ward in Argyll & Bute has the highest planning approval rate?

South Kintyre at 97.8% based on 272 decisions.

Which ward in Argyll & Bute has the lowest planning approval rate?

Helensburgh And Lomond South at 91.6% based on 143 decisions.

How much do planning approval rates vary across Argyll & Bute?

There is a 6.2% gap between South Kintyre and Helensburgh And Lomond South. Your postcode significantly affects outcomes.

Planning Approval Rates by Ward in Argyll & Bute

Planning outcomes in Argyll & Bute are highly localised. The gap between the most and least permissive wards is 6.2% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

4,552 real decisions·11 wards·Updated August 2026

95.9% approved overall. But 186 applications refused since 2020. Where you live in Argyll & Bute shifts your odds by up to 6.2%. The council average doesn't tell you which side of that gap you're on.

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All 11 wards ranked

#	Ward	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	South Kintyre	272	266	6	97.8%
2	Mid Argyll	476	465	11	97.7%
3	Helensburgh Central	373	361	12	96.8%
4	Lomond North	349	336	13	96.3%
5	Oban South And The Isles	676	648	28	95.9%
6	Kintyre And The Islands	648	621	27	95.8%
7	Oban North And Lorn	817	783	34	95.8%
8	Isle Of Bute	253	241	12	95.3%
9	Cowal	344	326	18	94.8%
10	Dunoon	184	172	12	93.5%
11	Helensburgh And Lomond South	143	131	12	91.6%

See how this applies to your postcode →

These are council averages. Your property is specific.

An extension might sail through in South Kintyre but face serious resistance in Helensburgh And Lomond South.
Check your postcode to see what actually happens near your address.

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What the data tells us

A 6.2% gap separates the best and worst wards. South Kintyre approves 97.8% of applications while Helensburgh And Lomond South approves just 91.6%. 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

186 planning applications in Argyll & Bute 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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Free · Property report emailed in minutes · Based on 3,780,000+ real decisions

More Argyll & Bute planning data

Methodology: Covers 4,552 planning decisions in Argyll & Bute, January 2020 to August 2026. Approval rate = approved / (approved + refused). Pending, withdrawn and invalid excluded. Ward boundaries reflect current electoral divisions. Data from Argyll & Bute Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →