Bexley planning approval rate
Bexley council approved 85.0% of planning applications and refused 15.0%, based on 21,260 decisions analysed. Ranked 47th out of 284 councils for strictness.
Last updated: June 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to present
85.0%
overall approval rate
21,260
Decisions analysed
18,070
Approved
3,190
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.
86.3%
64.0%
94.3%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Bexley, mined from 21,260 proposal descriptions.
82.8%
86.2%
86.0%
79.8%
84.8%
85.4%
82.7%
86.6%
80.3%
85.6%
90.6%
77.7%
83.8%
64.5%
87.4%
81.4%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Bexley. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
BEXHTH
83.7%
SIDCPN
84.4%
STMARN
82.6%
BLACKF
82.6%
BLENPE
80.9%
CROOKL
82.2%
FALCWE
81.6%
WHEATH
84.1%
ESTWCK
80.0%
CRAYFN
87.3%
BELVDR
83.5%
LONGN
87.4%
ERITHN
85.3%
NORHTH
79.9%
BARNE
84.6%
THAMEN
82.2%
SLADEG
83.8%
CHRISTCHURCH
99.1%
ERITH
99.1%
SIDCUP
96.2%
Wards in Bexley
BEXHTH
83.7% approval · 1,577 decisions
SIDCPN
84.4% approval · 1,528 decisions
STMARN
82.6% approval · 1,476 decisions
BLACKF
82.6% approval · 1,474 decisions
BLENPE
80.9% approval · 1,390 decisions
CROOKL
82.2% approval · 1,345 decisions
FALCWE
81.6% approval · 1,343 decisions
WHEATH
84.1% approval · 1,249 decisions
ESTWCK
80.0% approval · 1,052 decisions
CRAYFN
87.3% approval · 1,037 decisions
BELVDR
83.5% approval · 1,021 decisions
LONGN
87.4% approval · 948 decisions
ERITHN
85.3% approval · 807 decisions
NORHTH
79.9% approval · 716 decisions
BARNE
84.6% approval · 641 decisions
THAMEN
82.2% approval · 563 decisions
SLADEG
83.8% approval · 439 decisions
CHRISTCHURCH
99.1% approval · 217 decisions
ERITH
99.1% approval · 215 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
Conversion of existing dwelling house to create 2 self contained residential uni · BELVDR · 26/06/2026
None
Erection of a single storey side and rear extension and conversion of roof space · SIDCPN · 26/06/2026
None
Lawful Development Certificate (Proposed) for a single storey rear extension, re · ESTWCK · 26/06/2026
Showing 3 of 200 comparable decisions. See all 200 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 21,260 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in Bexley
What is the planning approval rate in Bexley?
Based on 21,260 planning decisions analysed since 2020, Bexley approved 85.0% of applications and refused 15.0%. The council is ranked 47th out of 284 UK councils for approval rate.
How many planning applications are refused in Bexley?
Bexley refuses 15.0% of planning applications, roughly 1 in 7. That is higher than the UK average of 11.7%. Out of 21,260 decided applications since 2020, 3,190 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 (19,816 decisions, 86.3% approved), Prior Approval (1,285, 64.0%), and Full (159, 94.3%).
How long does a planning application take in Bexley?
Planning applications in Bexley take an average of 10.3 weeks to reach a decision, measured across 19,093 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 3,543 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 21,260 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.