Brighton & Hove planning approval rate

Brighton & Hove council approved 89.8% of planning applications and refused 10.2%, based on 3,163 decisions analysed. Ranked 96th out of 221 councils for strictness.

Last updated: March 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to present

89.8%

overall approval rate

3,163

Decisions analysed

2,839

Approved

324

Refused

Wards covered

Planning in Brighton & Hove? 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 Brighton & Hove. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.

Full (1,430 decided)

87.8%

Trees (454 decided)

95.4%

Other (415 decided)

94.7%

Certificate of Lawfulness (316 decided)

94.6%

Listed Building (208 decided)

90.4%

Prior Approval (171 decided)

73.1%

Discharge of Conditions (88 decided)

89.8%

Advertisement (81 decided)

82.7%

Approval rate by project type

These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Brighton & Hove — mined from 3,163 proposal descriptions.

Rear Extension (506 decided)

93.7%

Dormer (379 decided)

92.9%

Garage / Parking (308 decided)

88.6%

Loft Conversion (186 decided)

95.2%

Extension (General) (175 decided)

90.9%

Change of Use (Residential) (165 decided)

74.5%

Side Extension (155 decided)

94.2%

Hip-to-Gable Conversion (124 decided)

96.0%

Outbuilding (91 decided)

95.6%

New Build (86 decided)

74.4%

Basement (85 decided)

84.7%

HMO (84 decided)

82.1%

Conservatory (65 decided)

93.8%

Front Extension (47 decided)

85.1%

Flat Conversion (33 decided)

72.7%

Wraparound Extension (31 decided)

93.5%

Annex (20 decided)

85.0%

Approval rate by ward

Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Brighton & Hove. Click any ward for detailed statistics.

Regency (287 decided)

83.6%

Westdene & Hove Park (277 decided)

93.1%

Preston Park (194 decided)

87.6%

Goldsmid (189 decided)

92.1%

Rottingdean & West Saltdean (178 decided)

90.4%

Patcham & Hollingbury (177 decided)

92.7%

West Hill & North Laine (175 decided)

85.7%

Kemptown (168 decided)

86.9%

Hollingdean & Fiveways (139 decided)

95.0%

Westbourne & Poets' Corner (137 decided)

94.2%

Central Hove (132 decided)

89.4%

Wish (124 decided)

93.5%

Brunswick & Adelaide (121 decided)

90.9%

Hangleton & Knoll (97 decided)

86.6%

Queen's Park (95 decided)

88.4%

Woodingdean (93 decided)

88.2%

Hanover & Elm Grove (91 decided)

85.7%

South Portslade (80 decided)

93.8%

Round Hill (70 decided)

95.7%

Coldean & Stanmer (62 decided)

95.2%

Wards in Brighton & Hove

Regency

83.6% approval · 287 decisions

Westdene & Hove Park

93.1% approval · 277 decisions

Preston Park

87.6% approval · 194 decisions

Goldsmid

92.1% approval · 189 decisions

Rottingdean & West Saltdean

90.4% approval · 178 decisions

Patcham & Hollingbury

92.7% approval · 177 decisions

West Hill & North Laine

85.7% approval · 175 decisions

Kemptown

86.9% approval · 168 decisions

Hollingdean & Fiveways

95.0% approval · 139 decisions

Westbourne & Poets' Corner

94.2% approval · 137 decisions

Central Hove

89.4% approval · 132 decisions

Wish

93.5% approval · 124 decisions

Brunswick & Adelaide

90.9% approval · 121 decisions

Hangleton & Knoll

86.6% approval · 97 decisions

Queen's Park

88.4% approval · 95 decisions

Woodingdean

88.2% approval · 93 decisions

Hanover & Elm Grove

85.7% approval · 91 decisions

South Portslade

93.8% approval · 80 decisions

Round Hill

95.7% approval · 70 decisions

Coldean & Stanmer

95.2% approval · 62 decisions

Recent comparable decisions

The most recent residential planning decisions in Brighton & Hove, showing how the council decides real applications.

BH2025/00181

Installation of 2no. automatic opening vents to rooftop of North and South block · Central Hove · Wed 19 Mar 2025

Approved

BH2025/00174

Prior approval for erection of two additional storeys. · Goldsmid · Wed 19 Mar 2025

Refused

BH2025/00662

T1 Beech- Prune back to previous points ONLY lowest branches on Northern side. L · Westbourne & Poets' Corner · Tue 18 Mar 2025

Approved

Showing 3 of 200 comparable decisions. See all 200 in the Pro Report →

What gets approved near your property?

In Brighton & Hove, 1 in 10 applications are refused. Your PlanningLens Pro Report gives you 17 pages of intelligence specific to your property:

✓ Ward-level approval rates for your exact area
✓ Common refusal reasons in Brighton & Hove
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect

Get Brighton & Hove Pro Report — £79

Less than one set of revised drawings. Based on 3,163 decisions.

Compare with nearby councils

Lewes & Eastbourne Mid Sussex Horsham Adur & Worthing

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