Cambridge Council approves 93.0% of planning applications, based on 8,530 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. Cambridge sits 4.4 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 8,530 decisions analysed since January 2020, the overall approval rate in Cambridge is 93.0%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Cambridge council planning portal records · Updated August 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 Cambridge.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | 3,427 | 260 | 3,687 | 92.9% |
| Trees | 2,552 | 54 | 2,606 | 97.9% |
| Other | 525 | 67 | 592 | 88.7% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 367 | 145 | 512 | 71.7% |
| Listed Building | 463 | 10 | 473 | 97.9% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 333 | 0 | 333 | 100.0% |
| Prior Approval | 122 | 49 | 171 | 71.3% |
| Advertisement | 131 | 1 | 132 | 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 | 432 | 16 | 448 | 96.4% |
| Newnham | 388 | 12 | 400 | 97.0% |
| Shelford | 358 | 31 | 389 | 92.0% |
| Harston & Comberton | 351 | 21 | 372 | 94.4% |
| Fen Ditton & Fulbourn | 331 | 22 | 353 | 93.8% |
| Trumpington | 293 | 11 | 304 | 96.4% |
| Linton | 253 | 34 | 287 | 88.2% |
| Queen Ediths | 257 | 26 | 283 | 90.8% |
| West Chesterton | 257 | 17 | 274 | 93.8% |
| Petersfield | 262 | 11 | 273 | 96.0% |
| Castle | 255 | 15 | 270 | 94.4% |
| Histon & Impington | 256 | 14 | 270 | 94.8% |
| Melbourn | 233 | 28 | 261 | 89.3% |
| Milton & Waterbeach | 238 | 9 | 247 | 96.4% |
| Duxford | 226 | 16 | 242 | 93.4% |
| Caxton & Papworth | 217 | 13 | 230 | 94.3% |
| Romsey | 198 | 15 | 213 | 93.0% |
| Cottenham | 179 | 18 | 197 | 90.9% |
| Foxton | 177 | 19 | 196 | 90.3% |
| Over & Willingham | 180 | 15 | 195 | 92.3% |
| Girton | 182 | 12 | 194 | 93.8% |
| Whittlesford | 175 | 7 | 182 | 96.2% |
| The Mordens | 168 | 12 | 180 | 93.3% |
| Abbey | 155 | 19 | 174 | 89.1% |
| Balsham | 157 | 15 | 172 | 91.3% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 26/02147/HFUL Whittlesford | Single storey rear extension including conversion of existing garage and carport | Approved |
| 26/02141/FUL Market | Addition of ventilation grille and 3no air handling units to rear elevation. | Approved |
| 26/02125/PRIOR West Chesterton | Change of use of the ground floor front commercial unit from Class E to Class C3 | Approved |
| 26/01994/HFUL Duxford | Erection of bridge to front of dwelling to create new access. | Approved |
| 26/01726/LBC Fen Ditton & Fulbourn | Single storey rear extension. | Approved |
| 26/00258/FUL Duxford | Construction of no.1 self/custom build dwelling, detached outbuilding/garage, an | Approved |
| 26/02131/HFUL Fen Ditton & Fulbourn | Single storey front extension. | Approved |
| 26/02059/HFUL Fen Ditton & Fulbourn | Installation of solar panels to front and rear roof and battery storage system t | Approved |
| 26/0497/TTPO Shelford | T1 - Purple Beech - Agreed amended tree work - 2m reduction of the west side of | Approved |
| 26/02139/HFUL Foxton | Replacement of thatched roof covering with clay pantiles, guttering and downpipe | 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 8,530 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 8,530 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 8,530 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Cambridge is 93.0%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 8,530 planning decisions from Cambridge council. 7,937 were approved and 593 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in Cambridge is 93.0%, 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.