Cambridge Council approves 92.9% of planning applications, based on 8,253 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.3%. Cambridge sits 4.6 percentage points above the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 901 decided applications, Cambridge Council approved 98.8% of planning applications in 2025. Across 8,253 decisions analysed since January 2020, the overall approval rate in Cambridge is 92.9%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.3%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Cambridge council planning portal records · Updated June 2026 · Quote freely with attribution
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Not all applications are treated equally. Extension types, listed building consent, and change of use applications each have very different success rates in Cambridge.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | 3,325 | 260 | 3,585 | 92.7% |
| Trees | 2,465 | 54 | 2,519 | 97.9% |
| Other | 491 | 67 | 558 | 88.0% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 355 | 142 | 497 | 71.4% |
| Listed Building | 444 | 10 | 454 | 97.8% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 326 | 0 | 326 | 100.0% |
| Prior Approval | 116 | 47 | 163 | 71.2% |
| Advertisement | 126 | 1 | 127 | 99.2% |
| Change of Use | 17 | 7 | 24 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market | 411 | 15 | 426 | 96.5% |
| Newnham | 376 | 12 | 388 | 96.9% |
| Shelford | 345 | 31 | 376 | 91.8% |
| Harston & Comberton | 339 | 21 | 360 | 94.2% |
| Fen Ditton & Fulbourn | 317 | 22 | 339 | 93.5% |
| Trumpington | 289 | 11 | 300 | 96.3% |
| Linton | 242 | 34 | 276 | 87.7% |
| Queen Ediths | 243 | 26 | 269 | 90.3% |
| Petersfield | 253 | 11 | 264 | 95.8% |
| West Chesterton | 247 | 17 | 264 | 93.6% |
| Histon & Impington | 245 | 14 | 259 | 94.6% |
| Melbourn | 225 | 27 | 252 | 89.3% |
| Castle | 235 | 15 | 250 | 94.0% |
| Milton & Waterbeach | 227 | 9 | 236 | 96.2% |
| Duxford | 217 | 16 | 233 | 93.1% |
| Caxton & Papworth | 214 | 13 | 227 | 94.3% |
| Romsey | 195 | 14 | 209 | 93.3% |
| Foxton | 174 | 19 | 193 | 90.2% |
| Cottenham | 172 | 18 | 190 | 90.5% |
| Over & Willingham | 175 | 15 | 190 | 92.1% |
| Girton | 176 | 12 | 188 | 93.6% |
| The Mordens | 165 | 12 | 177 | 93.2% |
| Whittlesford | 167 | 7 | 174 | 96.0% |
| Abbey | 152 | 18 | 170 | 89.4% |
| Balsham | 153 | 14 | 167 | 91.6% |
Showing top 25 of 42 wards by volume. Your free property report includes the full ward breakdown.
See full ward breakdown →How Cambridge’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, up 7.9pp since 2020.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from Cambridge council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| 26/01434/HFUL Kings Hedges | Erection of a self-contained one-bedroom outbuilding annexe for ancillary use, a | Approved |
| 26/01686/PRIOR Melbourn | Single storey rear extension. | Approved |
| 26/01633/HFUL The Mordens | Roof extension including rear box dormer, dormer window to front and rooflights. | Approved |
| 26/01617/HFUL Caldecote | Erection of detached single storey outbuilding to front of existing dwelling. | Approved |
| 26/01581/HFUL Sawston | Part single storey and part two storey rear extension, single storey side extens | Approved |
| 26/01586/HFUL Bar Hill | Erection of porch to front of dwelling. | Approved |
| 26/01574/HFUL Harston & Comberton | First floor side extension and porch canopy to front entrance. New pitched roof | Approved |
| 26/01559/LBC Market | Installation of photovoltaic panel arrays on the rear pitched roofs and structur | Approved |
| 26/01564/HFUL Arbury | First floor side extension. | Approved |
| 26/01558/FUL Market | Installation of photovoltaic panel arrays on the rear pitched roofs and structur | 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 Cambridge's 8,253 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare Cambridge's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
Dig deeper into Cambridge'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 Cambridge. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 8,253 real decisions from Cambridge 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 Cambridge'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 8,253 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Cambridge is 92.9%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.3%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 8,253 planning decisions from Cambridge council. 7,665 were approved and 588 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in Cambridge is 92.9%, 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 Cambridge? 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.