Caerphilly planning approval rate
Caerphilly council approved 78.4% of planning applications and refused 21.6%, based on 4,904 decisions analysed. Ranked 9th out of 284 councils for strictness.
Last updated: June 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to present
78.4%
overall approval rate
4,904
Decisions analysed
3,845
Approved
1,059
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.
75.5%
82.0%
81.9%
78.6%
94.7%
87.2%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Caerphilly, mined from 4,904 proposal descriptions.
76.9%
80.8%
75.5%
77.6%
74.8%
72.1%
86.3%
72.4%
73.6%
51.9%
71.8%
73.7%
92.3%
72.4%
61.5%
80.0%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Caerphilly. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
St Martins
79.9%
Penyrheol
76.4%
Morgan Jones
85.8%
Blackwood
81.5%
Pontllanfraith
83.1%
Crumlin
81.9%
Newbridge
78.3%
St Cattwg
73.9%
Penmaen
78.0%
Nelson
82.7%
Abercarn
74.0%
Ystrad Mynach
84.5%
Risca West
75.6%
Bedwas, Trethomas & Machen
84.6%
Bedwas And Trethomas
75.9%
Aberbargoed And Bargoed
79.7%
Ynysddu
69.6%
Machen And Rudry
81.7%
Argoed
64.7%
Llanbradach
70.9%
Wards in Caerphilly
St Martins
79.9% approval · 368 decisions
Penyrheol
76.4% approval · 288 decisions
Morgan Jones
85.8% approval · 261 decisions
Blackwood
81.5% approval · 248 decisions
Pontllanfraith
83.1% approval · 236 decisions
Crumlin
81.9% approval · 199 decisions
Newbridge
78.3% approval · 189 decisions
St Cattwg
73.9% approval · 188 decisions
Penmaen
78.0% approval · 186 decisions
Nelson
82.7% approval · 185 decisions
Abercarn
74.0% approval · 169 decisions
Ystrad Mynach
84.5% approval · 168 decisions
Risca West
75.6% approval · 164 decisions
Bedwas, Trethomas & Machen
84.6% approval · 143 decisions
Bedwas And Trethomas
75.9% approval · 141 decisions
Aberbargoed And Bargoed
79.7% approval · 138 decisions
Ynysddu
69.6% approval · 135 decisions
Machen And Rudry
81.7% approval · 120 decisions
Argoed
64.7% approval · 116 decisions
Llanbradach
70.9% approval · 110 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in Caerphilly, showing how the council decides real applications.
Erect a single-storey front entrance porch · St Martins · Fri 26 Jun 2026
Obtain a Lawful Development Certificate for proposed side extension, rear extens · St Martins · Wed 24 Jun 2026
Erect two storey side extension · Penyrheol · Mon 22 Jun 2026
Showing 3 of 200 comparable decisions. See all 200 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 4,904 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in Caerphilly
What is the planning approval rate in Caerphilly?
Based on 4,904 planning decisions analysed since 2020, Caerphilly approved 78.4% of applications and refused 21.6%. The council is ranked 9th out of 284 UK councils for approval rate.
How many planning applications are refused in Caerphilly?
Caerphilly refuses 21.6% of planning applications, roughly 1 in 5. That is higher than the UK average of 11.7%. Out of 4,904 decided applications since 2020, 1,059 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 (87.6%), Morgan Jones (85.8%), 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 (2,536 decisions, 75.5% approved), Other (1,292, 82.0%), and Change of Use (392, 81.9%).
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 2,936 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 817 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 4,904 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.