Broads Authority planning approval rate
Broads Authority council approved 94.8% of planning applications and refused 5.2%, based on 2,368 decisions analysed. Ranked 225th out of 279 councils for strictness.
Last updated: June 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to present
94.8%
overall approval rate
2,368
Decisions analysed
2,245
Approved
123
Refused
40
Wards covered
Planning in Broads Authority? 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 Broads Authority. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.
93.8%
97.4%
97.7%
90.3%
98.4%
88.0%
92.9%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Broads Authority — mined from 2,368 proposal descriptions.
97.3%
97.1%
91.6%
96.4%
95.0%
100.0%
87.9%
84.8%
88.0%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Broads Authority. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
St Benet Ward
93.2%
Wroxham Ward
97.1%
Hoveton And Tunstead Ward
96.3%
Oulton Broad Ward
95.7%
Thorpe St Andrew South East Ward -
94.5%
West Flegg Ward
94.6%
Bungay And Wainford Ward
92.5%
Coltishall Ward
98.1%
Beccles And Worlingham Ward
93.8%
Fleggburgh Ward
95.7%
Brundall Ward
92.7%
Ditchingham And Earsham Ward
94.4%
Marshes Ward
95.7%
Thurlton Ward
86.4%
Stalham Ward
98.4%
Blofield And South Walsham
89.1%
East Flegg Ward
100.0%
Loddon And Chedgrave Ward
95.3%
Rockland Ward
100.0%
Lothingland (GYD) Ward
85.7%
Wards in Broads Authority
St Benet Ward
93.2% approval · 278 decisions
Wroxham Ward
97.1% approval · 241 decisions
Hoveton And Tunstead Ward
96.3% approval · 214 decisions
Oulton Broad Ward
95.7% approval · 188 decisions
Thorpe St Andrew South East Ward -
94.5% approval · 127 decisions
West Flegg Ward
94.6% approval · 112 decisions
Bungay And Wainford Ward
92.5% approval · 107 decisions
Coltishall Ward
98.1% approval · 104 decisions
Beccles And Worlingham Ward
93.8% approval · 97 decisions
Fleggburgh Ward
95.7% approval · 92 decisions
Brundall Ward
92.7% approval · 82 decisions
Ditchingham And Earsham Ward
94.4% approval · 71 decisions
Marshes Ward
95.7% approval · 69 decisions
Thurlton Ward
86.4% approval · 66 decisions
Stalham Ward
98.4% approval · 64 decisions
Blofield And South Walsham
89.1% approval · 46 decisions
East Flegg Ward
100.0% approval · 44 decisions
Loddon And Chedgrave Ward
95.3% approval · 43 decisions
Rockland Ward
100.0% approval · 36 decisions
Lothingland (GYD) Ward
85.7% approval · 35 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in Broads Authority, showing how the council decides real applications.
Proposed single-storey extensions to detached dwelling, including new roof shape · Hoveton And Tunstead Ward · Thu 18 Jun 2026
Erection of illuminated & non-illuminated exterior signs · St Benet Ward · Mon 15 Jun 2026
Replace timber windows with uPVC · Oulton Broad Ward · Thu 11 Jun 2026
Showing 3 of 200 comparable decisions. See all 200 in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In Broads Authority, 1 in 19 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 Broads Authority
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for Broads Authority →
✓ Common refusal reasons in Broads Authority
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free. Based on 2,368 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in Broads Authority
What is the planning approval rate in Broads Authority?
Based on 2,368 planning decisions analysed since 2020, Broads Authority approved 94.8% of applications and refused 5.2%. The council is ranked 225th out of 279 UK councils for approval rate.
Which areas of Broads Authority have the highest planning approval rates?
The highest approval rates in Broads Authority are in Stalham Ward (98.4%), Coltishall Ward (98.1%), and Wroxham Ward (97.1%). Approval rates vary significantly by ward — see the full ward breakdown above.
What types of planning application are most common in Broads Authority?
The most common planning application types in Broads Authority are: Full (1,135 decisions, 93.8% approved), Trees (665, 97.4%), and Other (260, 97.7%).
How long does a planning application take in Broads Authority?
Planning applications in Broads Authority take an average of 9.1 weeks to reach a decision, measured across 2,356 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. Broads Authority decides approximately 395 planning applications per year.
How do I check planning applications in Broads Authority?
You can search planning applications in Broads Authority directly on the council's official planning portal. PlanningLens also lets you check any postcode against 2,368 historical decisions in Broads Authority to see what's been approved and refused near a specific property.
How is PlanningLens approval rate data for Broads Authority calculated?
PlanningLens scrapes Broads Authority'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.