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 113th out of 284 councils for strictness.
Last updated: June 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to present
89.8%
overall approval rate
3,163
Decisions analysed
2,839
Approved
324
Refused
33
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.
87.8%
95.4%
94.7%
90.4%
73.1%
89.8%
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.
93.7%
92.9%
88.6%
95.2%
90.9%
94.2%
96.0%
95.6%
74.4%
84.7%
82.1%
93.8%
85.1%
72.7%
93.5%
85.0%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Brighton & Hove. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
Regency
83.6%
Westdene & Hove Park
93.1%
Preston Park
87.6%
Goldsmid
92.1%
Rottingdean & West Saltdean
90.4%
Patcham & Hollingbury
92.7%
West Hill & North Laine
85.7%
Kemptown
86.9%
Hollingdean & Fiveways
95.0%
Westbourne & Poets' Corner
94.2%
Central Hove
89.4%
Wish
93.5%
Brunswick & Adelaide
90.9%
Hangleton & Knoll
86.6%
Queen's Park
88.4%
Woodingdean
88.2%
Hanover & Elm Grove
85.7%
South Portslade
93.8%
Round Hill
95.7%
Coldean & Stanmer
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.
Installation of 2no. automatic opening vents to rooftop of North and South block · Central Hove · Wed 19 Mar 2025
Prior approval for erection of two additional storeys. · Goldsmid · Wed 19 Mar 2025
T1 Beech- Prune back to previous points ONLY lowest branches on Northern side. L · Westbourne & Poets' Corner · Tue 18 Mar 2025
Showing 3 of 200 comparable decisions. See all 200 in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In Brighton & Hove, 1 in 10 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 Brighton & Hove
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for Brighton & Hove →
✓ Common refusal reasons in Brighton & Hove
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free. Based on 3,163 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in Brighton & Hove
What is the planning approval rate in Brighton & Hove?
Based on 3,163 planning decisions analysed since 2020, Brighton & Hove approved 89.8% of applications and refused 10.2%. The council is ranked 113th out of 284 UK councils for approval rate.
How many planning applications are refused in Brighton & Hove?
Brighton & Hove refuses 10.2% of planning applications, roughly 1 in 10. That is lower than the UK average of 11.7%. Out of 3,163 decided applications since 2020, 324 were refused. PlanningLens lets you check any postcode to see which applications were refused near a specific property.
Which areas of Brighton & Hove have the highest planning approval rates?
The highest approval rates in Brighton & Hove are in Round Hill (95.7%), Coldean & Stanmer (95.2%), and Hollingdean & Fiveways (95.0%). Approval rates vary significantly by ward, see the full ward breakdown above.
What types of planning application are most common in Brighton & Hove?
The most common planning application types in Brighton & Hove are: Full (1,430 decisions, 87.8% approved), Trees (454, 95.4%), and Other (415, 94.7%).
How long does a planning application take in Brighton & Hove?
Planning applications in Brighton & Hove take an average of 10.8 weeks to reach a decision, measured across 3,155 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. Brighton & Hove decides approximately 527 planning applications per year.
How do I check planning applications in Brighton & Hove?
You can search planning applications in Brighton & Hove directly on the council's official planning portal. PlanningLens also lets you check any postcode against 3,163 historical decisions in Brighton & Hove to see what's been approved and refused near a specific property.
How is PlanningLens approval rate data for Brighton & Hove calculated?
PlanningLens scrapes Brighton & Hove'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.