Caerphilly planning approval rate
Caerphilly council approved 78.2% of planning applications and refused 21.8%, based on 4,981 decisions analysed. Ranked 8th out of 292 councils for strictness.
Last updated: August 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to August 2026
78.2%
overall approval rate
4,981
Decisions analysed
3,897
Approved
1,084
Refused
39
Wards covered
Planning in Caerphilly? 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 Caerphilly. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.
75.6%
81.6%
81.1%
77.8%
94.8%
87.2%
90.0%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Caerphilly, mined from 4,981 proposal descriptions.
76.8%
80.8%
75.7%
77.5%
75.1%
71.2%
86.3%
72.4%
73.9%
52.4%
70.8%
74.1%
92.5%
71.9%
63.0%
81.2%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Caerphilly. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
St Martins
79.8%
Penyrheol
76.2%
Morgan Jones
85.7%
Blackwood
81.6%
Pontllanfraith
82.8%
Crumlin
81.8%
Nelson
82.1%
Newbridge
78.5%
Penmaen
78.1%
St Cattwg
73.8%
Abercarn
73.3%
Ystrad Mynach
84.1%
Risca West
75.3%
Aberbargoed And Bargoed
80.4%
Bedwas, Trethomas & Machen
84.6%
Bedwas And Trethomas
75.7%
Ynysddu
70.3%
Machen And Rudry
81.1%
Argoed
64.3%
Llanbradach
71.4%
Wards in Caerphilly
St Martins
79.8% approval · 376 decisions
Penyrheol
76.2% approval · 286 decisions
Morgan Jones
85.7% approval · 265 decisions
Blackwood
81.6% approval · 255 decisions
Pontllanfraith
82.8% approval · 238 decisions
Crumlin
81.8% approval · 203 decisions
Nelson
82.1% approval · 195 decisions
Newbridge
78.5% approval · 191 decisions
Penmaen
78.1% approval · 187 decisions
St Cattwg
73.8% approval · 187 decisions
Abercarn
73.3% approval · 172 decisions
Ystrad Mynach
84.1% approval · 170 decisions
Risca West
75.3% approval · 170 decisions
Aberbargoed And Bargoed
80.4% approval · 143 decisions
Bedwas, Trethomas & Machen
84.6% approval · 143 decisions
Bedwas And Trethomas
75.7% approval · 140 decisions
Ynysddu
70.3% approval · 138 decisions
Machen And Rudry
81.1% approval · 122 decisions
Argoed
64.3% approval · 115 decisions
Llanbradach
71.4% approval · 112 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in Caerphilly, showing how the council decides real applications.
Erect side extension and convert garage · St Martins · Fri 21 Aug 2026
Erect first floor extension on existing ground floor rear extension · New Tredegar · Fri 21 Aug 2026
Retain raised land levels and the erection of an agricultural building to house · Twyn Carno · Fri 21 Aug 2026
Showing 3 recent comparable decisions. See more in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In Caerphilly, 1 in 5 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 Caerphilly
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for Caerphilly →
✓ Common refusal reasons in Caerphilly
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free. Based on 4,981 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in Caerphilly
What is the planning approval rate in Caerphilly?
Based on 4,981 planning decisions analysed since 2020, Caerphilly approved 78.2% of applications and refused 21.8%. The council is ranked 8th out of 292 UK councils for approval rate.
How many planning applications are refused in Caerphilly?
Caerphilly refuses 21.8% of planning applications, roughly 1 in 5. That is higher than the UK average of 11.4%. Out of 4,981 decided applications since 2020, 1,084 were refused. PlanningLens lets you check any postcode to see which applications were refused near a specific property.
Which areas of Caerphilly have the highest planning approval rates?
The highest approval rates in Caerphilly are in Twyn Carno (86.0%), Morgan Jones (85.7%), and Bedwas, Trethomas & Machen (84.6%). Approval rates vary significantly by ward, see the full ward breakdown above.
What types of planning application are most common in Caerphilly?
The most common planning application types in Caerphilly are: Full (2,576 decisions, 75.6% approved), Other (1,303, 81.6%), and Change of Use (402, 81.1%).
How long does a planning application take in Caerphilly?
Planning applications in Caerphilly take an average of 13.3 weeks to reach a decision, measured across 3,017 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. Caerphilly decides approximately 830 planning applications per year.
How do I check planning applications in Caerphilly?
You can search planning applications in Caerphilly directly on the council's official planning portal. PlanningLens also lets you check any postcode against 4,981 historical decisions in Caerphilly to see what's been approved and refused near a specific property.
How is PlanningLens approval rate data for Caerphilly calculated?
PlanningLens scrapes Caerphilly'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.