BCP (Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole) Council approves 88.3% of planning applications, based on 290 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. BCP (Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole) sits 3.3 percentage points above the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 290 decided applications on record (May 2026 to September 2026), BCP (Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole) Council approved 88.3% of planning applications. The national average approval rate across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of BCP (Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole) council planning portal records · Data to 29 September 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 BCP (Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole).
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | 284 | 42 | 326 | 87.1% |
| Trees | 309 | 15 | 324 | 95.4% |
| Other | 255 | 14 | 269 | 94.8% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 33 | 3 | 36 | 91.7% |
| Advertisement | 26 | 6 | 32 | 81.2% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 0 | 15 | 15 | 0.0% |
| Prior Approval | 7 | 2 | 9 | 77.8% |
| Listed Building | 4 | 0 | 4 | 100.0% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canford Cliffs | 143 | 12 | 155 | 92.3% |
| Broadstone | 73 | 4 | 77 | 94.8% |
| Talbot & Branksome Woods | 57 | 3 | 60 | 95.0% |
| Highcliffe & Walkford | 42 | 3 | 45 | 93.3% |
| Bournemouth Central | 37 | 6 | 43 | 86.0% |
| Westbourne & West Cliff | 40 | 3 | 43 | 93.0% |
| Poole Town | 34 | 7 | 41 | 82.9% |
| Penn Hill | 32 | 4 | 36 | 88.9% |
| Bearwood & Merley | 32 | 2 | 34 | 94.1% |
| Christchurch Town | 31 | 1 | 32 | 96.9% |
| Mudeford, Stanpit & West Highcliffe | 28 | 3 | 31 | 90.3% |
| Commons | 24 | 3 | 27 | 88.9% |
| Parkstone | 23 | 3 | 26 | 88.5% |
| Muscliff & Strouden Park | 19 | 4 | 23 | 82.6% |
| Creekmoor | 21 | 1 | 22 | 95.5% |
| Alderney & Bourne Valley | 21 | 1 | 22 | 95.5% |
| East Cliff & Springbourne | 21 | 1 | 22 | 95.5% |
| East Southbourne & Tuckton | 18 | 3 | 21 | 85.7% |
| Queen's Park | 18 | 3 | 21 | 85.7% |
| Canford Heath | 20 | 1 | 21 | 95.2% |
| Hamworthy | 17 | 3 | 20 | 85.0% |
| Oakdale | 16 | 2 | 18 | 88.9% |
| Kinson | 17 | 1 | 18 | 94.4% |
| West Southbourne | 13 | 3 | 16 | 81.2% |
| Boscombe East & Pokesdown | 13 | 1 | 14 | 92.9% |
Showing top 25 of 34 wards by volume. Your free property report includes the full ward breakdown.
See full ward breakdown →Real residential planning decisions from BCP (Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole) council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| P/26/03688/HOU Highcliffe & Walkford | Proposed front porch | Approved |
| P/26/03718/HOU Kinson | Single storey rear extension and alterations, demolition of existing single stor | Approved |
| P/26/03585/FUL East Southbourne & Tuckton | Replace communal external entrance doors to the block of flats from wooden doubl | Approved |
| P/26/03742/HOU East Southbourne & Tuckton | Demolition of the existing rear kitchen extension and garage structure. Construc | Approved |
| P/26/03659/HOU Parkstone | Demolish existing porch and garage. Single storey side extension, two storey rea | Approved |
| P/26/03776/HOU Oakdale | Demolition of conservatory and new single storey rear extension including velux | Approved |
| P/26/02745/FUL Poole Town | Change of Use from Takeaway (Use Class E/Sui Generis) to Betting Office (Sui Gen | Approved |
| P/26/02572/FUL Penn Hill | Proposed minor alterations to the existing building to change from an existing 8 | Approved |
| P/26/03454/TTPO Canford Cliffs | T1 Monterey Pine - Prune back the branches which extend furthest over the roofli | Approved |
| P/26/03402/FUL Parkstone | Remove timber forecourt structure and construct new boundary treatment consistin | 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 BCP (Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole)'s 290 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare BCP (Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole)'s planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
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Dig deeper into BCP (Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole)'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 BCP (Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole). Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 290 real decisions from BCP (Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole) 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 BCP (Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole)'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 290 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in BCP (Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole) is 88.3%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 290 planning decisions from BCP (Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole) council. 256 were approved and 34 were refused. These figures cover every decision on record for the council, May 2026 to September 2026.
The average approval rate in BCP (Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole) is 88.3%, 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 BCP (Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole)? 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.