Bolsover planning approval rate
Bolsover council approved 95.1% of planning applications and refused 4.9%, based on 2,173 decisions analysed. Ranked 242nd out of 292 councils for strictness.
Last updated: August 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to August 2026
95.1%
overall approval rate
2,173
Decisions analysed
2,067
Approved
106
Refused
17
Wards covered
Planning in Bolsover? 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 Bolsover. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.
95.1%
94.8%
97.2%
95.5%
98.6%
98.0%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Bolsover, mined from 2,173 proposal descriptions.
95.1%
98.6%
98.1%
98.0%
92.2%
96.3%
98.3%
94.1%
88.2%
100.0%
82.6%
93.3%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Bolsover. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
Ault Hucknall Ward
93.4%
Elmton-With-Creswell Ward
96.5%
South Normanton West Ward
97.6%
Barlborough Ward
95.6%
Bolsover North And Shuttlewood Ward
95.3%
Whitwell Ward
91.4%
Clowne East Ward
92.6%
Bolsover East Ward
95.6%
Pinxton Ward
95.9%
Blackwell Ward
91.7%
Tibshelf Ward
95.3%
South Normanton East Ward
97.0%
Shirebrook North Ward
97.9%
Langwith Ward
95.3%
Shirebrook South Ward
100.0%
Clowne West Ward
95.9%
Bolsover South Ward
91.9%
Wards in Bolsover
Ault Hucknall Ward
93.4% approval · 259 decisions
Elmton-With-Creswell Ward
96.5% approval · 173 decisions
South Normanton West Ward
97.6% approval · 166 decisions
Barlborough Ward
95.6% approval · 158 decisions
Bolsover North And Shuttlewood Ward
95.3% approval · 150 decisions
Whitwell Ward
91.4% approval · 139 decisions
Clowne East Ward
92.6% approval · 136 decisions
Bolsover East Ward
95.6% approval · 135 decisions
Pinxton Ward
95.9% approval · 123 decisions
Blackwell Ward
91.7% approval · 108 decisions
Tibshelf Ward
95.3% approval · 106 decisions
South Normanton East Ward
97.0% approval · 101 decisions
Shirebrook North Ward
97.9% approval · 95 decisions
Langwith Ward
95.3% approval · 86 decisions
Shirebrook South Ward
100.0% approval · 77 decisions
Clowne West Ward
95.9% approval · 73 decisions
Bolsover South Ward
91.9% approval · 62 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in Bolsover, showing how the council decides real applications.
Erection of detached, single storey custom self-build dwelling · Clowne East Ward · Fri 21 Aug 2026
Erection of a single storey dwelling - custom self build · Blackwell Ward · Wed 19 Aug 2026
Infill of an existing parking area to create a new utility room and ground floor · Barlborough Ward · Tue 18 Aug 2026
Showing 3 recent comparable decisions. See more in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In Bolsover, 1 in 20 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 Bolsover
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for Bolsover →
✓ Common refusal reasons in Bolsover
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free. Based on 2,173 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in Bolsover
What is the planning approval rate in Bolsover?
Based on 2,173 planning decisions analysed since 2020, Bolsover approved 95.1% of applications and refused 4.9%. The council is ranked 242nd out of 292 UK councils for approval rate.
How many planning applications are refused in Bolsover?
Bolsover refuses 4.9% of planning applications, roughly 1 in 20. That is lower than the UK average of 11.4%. Out of 2,173 decided applications since 2020, 106 were refused. PlanningLens lets you check any postcode to see which applications were refused near a specific property.
Which areas of Bolsover have the highest planning approval rates?
The highest approval rates in Bolsover are in Shirebrook South Ward (100.0%), Shirebrook North Ward (97.9%), and South Normanton West Ward (97.6%). Approval rates vary significantly by ward, see the full ward breakdown above.
What types of planning application are most common in Bolsover?
The most common planning application types in Bolsover are: Full (1,518 decisions, 95.1% approved), Other (310, 94.8%), and Discharge of Conditions (108, 97.2%).
How long does a planning application take in Bolsover?
Planning applications in Bolsover take an average of 11.5 weeks to reach a decision, measured across 2,147 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. Bolsover decides approximately 362 planning applications per year.
How do I check planning applications in Bolsover?
You can search planning applications in Bolsover directly on the council's official planning portal. PlanningLens also lets you check any postcode against 2,173 historical decisions in Bolsover to see what's been approved and refused near a specific property.
How is PlanningLens approval rate data for Bolsover calculated?
PlanningLens scrapes Bolsover'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.