BCP (Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole) Council approves 91.4% of planning applications, based on 408 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. BCP (Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole) sits 2.8 percentage points above the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 408 decided applications published since January 2020, BCP (Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole) Council approved 91.4% of planning applications. The national average approval rate across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of BCP (Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole) 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 BCP (Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole).
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 158 | 11 | 169 | 93.5% |
| Full | 114 | 18 | 132 | 86.4% |
| Trees | 73 | 4 | 77 | 94.8% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 14 | 1 | 15 | 93.3% |
| Advertisement | 8 | 1 | 9 | 88.9% |
| Prior Approval | 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 | 64 | 6 | 70 | 91.4% |
| Broadstone | 33 | 2 | 35 | 94.3% |
| Talbot & Branksome Woods | 24 | 0 | 24 | 100.0% |
| Highcliffe & Walkford | 18 | 2 | 20 | 90.0% |
| Penn Hill | 16 | 3 | 19 | 84.2% |
| Bearwood & Merley | 16 | 1 | 17 | 94.1% |
| Bournemouth Central | 14 | 1 | 15 | 93.3% |
| Westbourne & West Cliff | 13 | 2 | 15 | 86.7% |
| Mudeford, Stanpit & West Highcliffe | 12 | 2 | 14 | 85.7% |
| Hamworthy | 12 | 1 | 13 | 92.3% |
| Alderney & Bourne Valley | 10 | 1 | 11 | 90.9% |
| Christchurch Town | 11 | 0 | 11 | 100.0% |
| Poole Town | 10 | 1 | 11 | 90.9% |
| Canford Heath | 10 | 0 | 10 | 100.0% |
| Commons | 8 | 1 | 9 | 88.9% |
| West Southbourne | 7 | 1 | 8 | 87.5% |
| Queen's Park | 7 | 1 | 8 | 87.5% |
| Parkstone | 7 | 1 | 8 | 87.5% |
| East Southbourne & Tuckton | 5 | 2 | 7 | 71.4% |
| Oakdale | 7 | 0 | 7 | 100.0% |
| Littledown & Iford | 6 | 0 | 6 | 100.0% |
| Creekmoor | 6 | 0 | 6 | 100.0% |
| Muscliff & Strouden Park | 4 | 1 | 5 | 80.0% |
| Burton & Grange | 4 | 1 | 5 | 80.0% |
| Wallisdown & Winton West | 5 | 0 | 5 | 100.0% |
Showing top 25 of 27 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/26/02028/HOU West Southbourne | Erection of side and rear single storey extension and loft conversion with dorme | Approved |
| P/26/02725/HOU West Southbourne | Two-storey front/side extension | Approved |
| P/26/02679/HOU Mudeford, Stanpit & West Highcliffe | Retrospective Outbuilding and Boundary fence | Approved |
| P/26/02680/FUL West Southbourne | Retrospective change of use of a guesthouse (Use Class C1) to a single dwelling | Approved |
| P/26/02785/HOU Penn Hill | Proposed Two storey rear extension, Enlargement of roof to create attic accommod | Refused |
| P/26/02776/HOU Poole Town | Demolition of existing kitchen lean-to and conservatory and erection of a single | Approved |
| P/26/02770/FUL Westbourne & West Cliff | First floor extension & alterations to two flats. Relocation of entrance to Flat | Approved |
| P/26/02852/HOU Bearwood & Merley | Proposed garden room ancillary to existing residential dwelling. | Approved |
| P/26/02590/HOU Moordown | Removal of existing single storey rear extension, erection of single storey rear | Refused |
| P/26/02758/HOU Hamworthy | Construction of a balcony over existing porch to front elevation | 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 408 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 408 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 408 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in BCP (Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole) is 91.4%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 408 planning decisions from BCP (Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole) council. 373 were approved and 35 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in BCP (Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole) is 91.4%, 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.