Bexley planning approval rate
Bexley council approved 85.2% of planning applications and refused 14.8%, based on 21,547 decisions analysed. Ranked 51st out of 300 councils for strictness.
Last updated: August 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to August 2026
85.2%
overall approval rate
21,547
Decisions analysed
18,359
Approved
3,188
Refused
57
Wards covered
Planning in Bexley? 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 Bexley. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.
86.5%
64.3%
93.3%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Bexley, mined from 21,547 proposal descriptions.
83.0%
86.4%
86.3%
80.0%
84.9%
85.5%
82.9%
86.6%
80.3%
85.9%
90.5%
78.3%
83.7%
65.0%
87.4%
81.1%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Bexley. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
BEXHTH
83.8%
SIDCPN
84.7%
BLACKF
82.9%
STMARN
83.1%
BLENPE
80.9%
FALCWE
82.0%
CROOKL
82.3%
WHEATH
84.2%
ESTWCK
80.2%
CRAYFN
87.4%
BELVDR
84.0%
LONGN
87.6%
ERITHN
85.4%
NORHTH
80.2%
BARNE
84.7%
THAMEN
82.6%
SLADEG
84.5%
CHRISTCHURCH
99.1%
ERITH
99.1%
SIDCUP
96.2%
Wards in Bexley
BEXHTH
83.8% approval · 1,601 decisions
SIDCPN
84.7% approval · 1,554 decisions
BLACKF
82.9% approval · 1,500 decisions
STMARN
83.1% approval · 1,495 decisions
BLENPE
80.9% approval · 1,406 decisions
FALCWE
82.0% approval · 1,365 decisions
CROOKL
82.3% approval · 1,358 decisions
WHEATH
84.2% approval · 1,269 decisions
ESTWCK
80.2% approval · 1,067 decisions
CRAYFN
87.4% approval · 1,057 decisions
BELVDR
84.0% approval · 1,034 decisions
LONGN
87.6% approval · 968 decisions
ERITHN
85.4% approval · 824 decisions
NORHTH
80.2% approval · 724 decisions
BARNE
84.7% approval · 653 decisions
THAMEN
82.6% approval · 569 decisions
SLADEG
84.5% approval · 444 decisions
CHRISTCHURCH
99.1% approval · 217 decisions
ERITH
99.1% approval · 216 decisions
SIDCUP
96.2% approval · 208 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in Bexley, showing how the council decides real applications.
None
Application to approve details of conditions 6 (Parking Permits) and 7 (Car Park · FALCWE · 13/08/2026
None
Erection of a single storey rear extension, installation of access ramp and alte · BEXHTH · 13/08/2026
None
Conversion of roof space involving alterations to existing roofline, including a · STMARN · 13/08/2026
Showing 3 recent comparable decisions. See more in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In Bexley, 1 in 7 applications are refused. Your PlanningLens Full Planning Analysis gives you 17 pages of intelligence specific to your property:
✓ Ward-level approval rates for your exact area
✓ Common refusal reasons in Bexley
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for Bexley →
✓ Common refusal reasons in Bexley
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free. Based on 21,547 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in Bexley
What is the planning approval rate in Bexley?
Based on 21,547 planning decisions analysed since 2020, Bexley approved 85.2% of applications and refused 14.8%. The council is ranked 51st out of 300 UK councils for approval rate.
How many planning applications are refused in Bexley?
Bexley refuses 14.8% of planning applications, roughly 1 in 7. That is higher than the UK average of 11.4%. Out of 21,547 decided applications since 2020, 3,188 were refused. PlanningLens lets you check any postcode to see which applications were refused near a specific property.
Which areas of Bexley have the highest planning approval rates?
The highest approval rates in Bexley are in OUTBOR (100.0%), ERITH (99.1%), and CHRISTCHURCH (99.1%). Approval rates vary significantly by ward, see the full ward breakdown above.
What types of planning application are most common in Bexley?
The most common planning application types in Bexley are: Other (20,033 decisions, 86.5% approved), Prior Approval (1,304, 64.3%), and Full (210, 93.3%).
How long does a planning application take in Bexley?
Planning applications in Bexley take an average of 10.2 weeks to reach a decision, measured across 19,386 decisions with a recorded timeline. That is slower than the 8-week statutory target for householder applications (the statutory targets are 8 weeks for householder applications and 13 weeks for major developments). PlanningLens measures the actual time each application takes, not just the target. Bexley decides approximately 3,591 planning applications per year.
How do I check planning applications in Bexley?
You can search planning applications in Bexley directly on the council's official planning portal. PlanningLens also lets you check any postcode against 21,547 historical decisions in Bexley to see what's been approved and refused near a specific property.
How is PlanningLens approval rate data for Bexley calculated?
PlanningLens scrapes Bexley's official planning portal and analyses every published decision since January 2020. The approval rate is calculated as approved decisions divided by total decided applications, excluding withdrawn and pending applications. The full methodology, data sourcing, and Creative Commons BY 4.0 licensing terms are published at planninglens.co.uk/methodology.