Bristol Council approves 85.4% of planning applications, based on 17,284 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. Bristol is closely in line with the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 2,819 decided applications, Bristol Council approved 87.3% of planning applications in 2025. Across 17,284 decisions on record (May 2018 to September 2026), the overall approval rate in Bristol is 85.4%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Bristol council planning portal records · Data to 7 September 2026 · Quote freely with attribution
Enter your postcode for a free, personalised approval pattern report, based on your ward and application type.
Not all applications are treated equally. Extension types, listed building consent, and change of use applications each have very different success rates in Bristol.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | 12,186 | 2,024 | 14,210 | 85.8% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 3,511 | 457 | 3,968 | 88.5% |
| Trees | 1,878 | 108 | 1,986 | 94.6% |
| Listed Building | 1,796 | 180 | 1,976 | 90.9% |
| Prior Approval | 1,167 | 252 | 1,419 | 82.2% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 967 | 68 | 1,035 | 93.4% |
| Advertisement | 830 | 163 | 993 | 83.6% |
| Other | 291 | 87 | 378 | 77.0% |
| Change of Use | 245 | 101 | 346 | 70.8% |
A loft conversion in one ward can have a 90% approval rate. In the next ward, 55%. The free check tells you which side you're on, your free property report is emailed in minutes.
Check My PostcodeWard-level data reveals where planning applications are most and least likely to succeed. Officers, local policies, and neighbourhood character all play a role.
| Ward | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westbury-on-Trym & Henleaze | 1,921 | 205 | 2,126 | 90.4% |
| Central | 1,729 | 235 | 1,964 | 88.0% |
| Clifton | 1,372 | 178 | 1,550 | 88.5% |
| Stoke Bishop | 1,167 | 129 | 1,296 | 90.0% |
| Ashley | 981 | 187 | 1,168 | 84.0% |
| Avonmouth & Lawrence Weston | 921 | 125 | 1,046 | 88.0% |
| Redland | 883 | 131 | 1,014 | 87.1% |
| Clifton Down | 876 | 129 | 1,005 | 87.2% |
| Southville | 805 | 144 | 949 | 84.8% |
| Bishopston & Ashley Down | 728 | 102 | 830 | 87.7% |
| Lawrence Hill | 706 | 108 | 814 | 86.7% |
| Cotham | 690 | 96 | 786 | 87.8% |
| Frome Vale | 620 | 132 | 752 | 82.4% |
| Bedminster | 658 | 94 | 752 | 87.5% |
| Horfield | 577 | 115 | 692 | 83.4% |
| Knowle | 565 | 81 | 646 | 87.5% |
| Brislington West | 556 | 80 | 636 | 87.4% |
| Windmill Hill | 545 | 77 | 622 | 87.6% |
| Lockleaze | 532 | 86 | 618 | 86.1% |
| Eastville | 527 | 90 | 617 | 85.4% |
| Hengrove & Whitchurch Park | 546 | 69 | 615 | 88.8% |
| Easton | 515 | 78 | 593 | 86.8% |
| Hotwells & Harbourside | 475 | 78 | 553 | 85.9% |
| Hillfields | 439 | 98 | 537 | 81.8% |
| Bishopsworth | 470 | 55 | 525 | 89.5% |
Showing top 25 of 34 wards by volume. Your free property report includes the full ward breakdown.
See full ward breakdown →How Bristol’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, up 2.6pp since 2018.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from Bristol council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| 26/13492/CP Bishopston & Ashley Down | Application for a Lawful Development Certificate for a Proposed loft conversion. | Approved |
| 26/13286/CP Bishopston & Ashley Down | Application for a Lawful Development Certificate for a Proposed single storey re | Approved |
| 26/13014/F Lawrence Hill | Demolition of existing side extensions, and the erection of 2no. two-storey side | Refused |
| 26/12877/LB Clifton | Alterations to existing mezzanine floor including new staircase and new glazed b | Approved |
| 26/12830/H Knowle | Front bay window, rear extension and associated works. | Approved |
| 26/12449/LB Central | Remove some 21st Century plasterboard walls. | Approved |
| 26/12346/H Stoke Bishop | Single storey outbuilding. | Approved |
| 26/11598/F Bishopsworth | Redevelopment of the Public House to 3 No dwelling houses and Micro-Pub to part | Refused |
| 26/13164/HX Redland | Notification of Prior Approval for the erection of a single storey rear extensio | Refused |
| 26/13078/LB Central | Minor internal alterations, including revised toilet layout, internal redecorati | Approved |
Find out what actually gets approved near your address first. Your free property report analyses the 20 nearest decisions to your property, ward-specific refusal patterns, and extension-by-extension approval patterns. Based on Bristol's 17,284 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare Bristol's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
Dig deeper into Bristol's planning statistics, by ward, extension type, or project category:
Data-driven guides to help you understand planning approval patterns:
Yes. PlanningLens offers a free planning permission check for Bristol. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 17,284 real decisions from Bristol council. The full property-specific report is also free and emailed within minutes.
Enter your postcode on PlanningLens for a free instant check based on Bristol's real planning decisions. The free property report goes further: it analyses the 20 nearest comparable decisions to your property, ward-level refusal patterns, and approval rates by application type. Free and emailed within minutes.
Based on 17,284 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Bristol is 85.4%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 17,284 planning decisions from Bristol council. 14,757 were approved and 2,527 were refused. These figures cover every decision on record for the council, May 2018 to September 2026.
The average approval rate in Bristol is 85.4%, but outcomes depend heavily on your specific ward, the type of extension or development you are proposing, and local planning policy. Use the free PlanningLens postcode check to get a personalised score.
Writing about planning in Bristol? These figures are free to republish with attribution. Copy the one-line citation, or paste the stat box into any website, CMS or newsletter, it carries its own styling and links back to this page for verification.