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

Mid Argyll at 98.1% based on 375 decisions.

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

Helensburgh And Lomond South at 89.9% based on 119 decisions.

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

There is a 8.2% gap between Mid Argyll 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 8.2% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

3,738 real decisions·11 wards·Updated May 2026

95.7% approved overall. But 161 applications refused since 2020. Where you live in Argyll & Bute shifts your odds by up to 8.2%. 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	Mid Argyll	375	368	7	98.1%
2	South Kintyre	226	220	6	97.3%
3	Lomond North	267	257	10	96.3%
4	Helensburgh Central	319	307	12	96.2%
5	Oban South And The Isles	555	532	23	95.9%
6	Oban North And Lorn	664	636	28	95.8%
7	Kintyre And The Islands	493	471	22	95.5%
8	Cowal	321	304	17	94.7%
9	Isle Of Bute	216	204	12	94.4%
10	Dunoon	167	156	11	93.4%
11	Helensburgh And Lomond South	119	107	12	89.9%

See how this applies to your postcode →

These are council averages. Your property is specific.

An extension might sail through in Mid Argyll 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 8.2% gap separates the best and worst wards. Mid Argyll approves 98.1% of applications while Helensburgh And Lomond South approves just 89.9%. 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

161 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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More Argyll & Bute planning data

Methodology: Covers 3,738 planning decisions in Argyll & Bute, January 2020 to present. 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 →