What type of planning application is most likely to be approved in Cambridge?

Hip-to-Gable Conversion at 100.0% based on 45 decisions.

What is hardest to get planning permission for in Cambridge?

HMO at 72.7% based on 44 decisions.

How do approval rates vary by project type in Cambridge?

From 100.0% (Hip-to-Gable Conversion) to 72.7% (HMO). What you build matters as much as where you build it.

Most Common Planning Applications in Cambridge

Not all planning applications are created equal. The gap between the highest and lowest approval project type in Cambridge is 27.3% — that's the difference between near-certainty and a coin flip. What you build matters as much as where you build it.

8,253 real decisions·16 project types·Updated June 2026

Check Planning Approval Patterns in Cambridge

See your ward's approval rate and nearby planning decisions — free and instant.

Check My Postcode

All 16 project types ranked

#	Type	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	Hip-to-Gable Conversion	45	45	0	100.0%
2	Conservatory	215	210	5	97.7%
3	Basement	72	70	2	97.2%
4	Outbuilding	509	486	23	95.5%
5	Wraparound Extension	240	229	11	95.4%
6	Dormer	387	369	18	95.3%
7	Rear Extension	1,430	1,357	73	94.9%
8	Side Extension	815	769	46	94.4%
9	Front Extension	312	292	20	93.6%
10	Garage / Parking	1,073	993	80	92.5%
11	Extension (General)	358	329	29	91.9%
12	Loft Conversion	356	325	31	91.3%
13	Annex	140	126	14	90.0%
14	New Build	308	261	47	84.7%
15	Change of Use (Residential)	317	244	73	77.0%
16	HMO	44	32	12	72.7%

See how this applies to your postcode →

These are council averages. Your property is specific.

A hip-to-gable conversion application has a 100.0% approval rate. HMO? Just 72.7%.
Check your postcode to see what actually happens near your address.

Check My Postcode

What the data tells us

The range is massive: 72.7% to 100.0%. Choosing the right project type — or framing your application correctly — can dramatically affect outcomes.

Visibility drives scrutiny. Project types that change the external appearance — dormers, loft conversions, hip-to-gable — face more resistance than those that don't. The more visible your proposal, the more carefully it needs designing.

These are council-wide averages. Your ward, your street and your immediate neighbours all shift the odds. The comparable decisions near your property are the best indicator of outcome.

Before you spend £5,000+ on architects and drawings

588 planning applications in Cambridge have been refused since 2020. Many of those homeowners had already paid for drawings and application fees. A free, property-specific report shows you what gets approved — and what gets refused — near your property.

Check my postcode

Free · Property report emailed in minutes · Based on 3,290,000+ real decisions

More Cambridge planning data

Nearby councils project type rankings

Methodology: Classifies 8,253 decisions in Cambridge into residential project types using keyword matching against proposal descriptions (matching generate_site_data.py subtype rules). A single application may appear in multiple categories. Data from Cambridge Council's public planning portal, January 2020 to present. Full methodology →