Cambridge planning approval rate
Cambridge council approved 93.0% of planning applications and refused 7.0%, based on 8,530 decisions analysed. Ranked 190th out of 300 councils for strictness.
Last updated: August 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to August 2026
93.0%
overall approval rate
8,530
Decisions analysed
7,937
Approved
593
Refused
43
Wards covered
Planning in Cambridge? 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 Cambridge. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.
92.9%
97.9%
88.7%
71.7%
97.9%
100.0%
71.3%
99.2%
70.8%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Cambridge, mined from 8,530 proposal descriptions.
95.1%
92.8%
94.6%
95.6%
95.4%
91.5%
91.9%
93.7%
84.9%
95.7%
97.7%
90.4%
97.5%
76.0%
100.0%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Cambridge. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
Market
96.4%
Newnham
97.0%
Shelford
92.0%
Harston & Comberton
94.4%
Fen Ditton & Fulbourn
93.8%
Trumpington
96.4%
Linton
88.2%
Queen Ediths
90.8%
West Chesterton
93.8%
Petersfield
96.0%
Castle
94.4%
Histon & Impington
94.8%
Melbourn
89.3%
Milton & Waterbeach
96.4%
Duxford
93.4%
Caxton & Papworth
94.3%
Romsey
93.0%
Cottenham
90.9%
Foxton
90.3%
Over & Willingham
92.3%
Wards in Cambridge
Market
96.4% approval · 448 decisions
Newnham
97.0% approval · 400 decisions
Shelford
92.0% approval · 389 decisions
Harston & Comberton
94.4% approval · 372 decisions
Fen Ditton & Fulbourn
93.8% approval · 353 decisions
Trumpington
96.4% approval · 304 decisions
Linton
88.2% approval · 287 decisions
Queen Ediths
90.8% approval · 283 decisions
West Chesterton
93.8% approval · 274 decisions
Petersfield
96.0% approval · 273 decisions
Castle
94.4% approval · 270 decisions
Histon & Impington
94.8% approval · 270 decisions
Melbourn
89.3% approval · 261 decisions
Milton & Waterbeach
96.4% approval · 247 decisions
Duxford
93.4% approval · 242 decisions
Caxton & Papworth
94.3% approval · 230 decisions
Romsey
93.0% approval · 213 decisions
Cottenham
90.9% approval · 197 decisions
Foxton
90.3% approval · 196 decisions
Over & Willingham
92.3% approval · 195 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in Cambridge, showing how the council decides real applications.
Single storey rear extension including conversion of existing garage and carport · Whittlesford · Mon 03 Aug 2026
Addition of ventilation grille and 3no air handling units to rear elevation. · Market · Mon 03 Aug 2026
Change of use of the ground floor front commercial unit from Class E to Class C3 · West Chesterton · Mon 03 Aug 2026
Showing 3 recent comparable decisions. See more in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In Cambridge, 1 in 14 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 Cambridge
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for Cambridge →
✓ Common refusal reasons in Cambridge
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free. Based on 8,530 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in Cambridge
What is the planning approval rate in Cambridge?
Based on 8,530 planning decisions analysed since 2020, Cambridge approved 93.0% of applications and refused 7.0%. The council is ranked 190th out of 300 UK councils for approval rate.
How many planning applications are refused in Cambridge?
Cambridge refuses 7.0% of planning applications, roughly 1 in 14. That is lower than the UK average of 11.4%. Out of 8,530 decided applications since 2020, 593 were refused. PlanningLens lets you check any postcode to see which applications were refused near a specific property.
Which areas of Cambridge have the highest planning approval rates?
The highest approval rates in Cambridge are in Newnham (97.0%), Kings Hedges (96.6%), and Milton & Waterbeach (96.4%). Approval rates vary significantly by ward, see the full ward breakdown above.
What types of planning application are most common in Cambridge?
The most common planning application types in Cambridge are: Full (3,687 decisions, 92.9% approved), Trees (2,606, 97.9%), and Other (592, 88.7%).
How long does a planning application take in Cambridge?
Planning applications in Cambridge take an average of 11.1 weeks to reach a decision, measured across 8,475 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. Cambridge decides approximately 1,422 planning applications per year.
How do I check planning applications in Cambridge?
You can search planning applications in Cambridge directly on the council's official planning portal. PlanningLens also lets you check any postcode against 8,530 historical decisions in Cambridge to see what's been approved and refused near a specific property.
How is PlanningLens approval rate data for Cambridge calculated?
PlanningLens scrapes Cambridge'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.