Cambridge Council approves 90.4% of planning applications, based on 5,770 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.0%. Cambridge sits 2.4 percentage points above the national average.
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 | 2,378 | 260 | 2,638 | 90.1% |
| Trees | 1,668 | 49 | 1,717 | 97.1% |
| Other | 329 | 67 | 396 | 83.1% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 238 | 124 | 362 | 65.7% |
| Listed Building | 263 | 10 | 273 | 96.3% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 193 | 0 | 193 | 100.0% |
| Prior Approval | 60 | 34 | 94 | 63.8% |
| Advertisement | 72 | 1 | 73 | 98.6% |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelford | 240 | 30 | 270 | 88.9% |
| Market | 252 | 11 | 263 | 95.8% |
| Harston & Comberton | 236 | 21 | 257 | 91.8% |
| Newnham | 229 | 9 | 238 | 96.2% |
| Trumpington | 222 | 11 | 233 | 95.3% |
| Fen Ditton & Fulbourn | 194 | 21 | 215 | 90.2% |
| Linton | 173 | 31 | 204 | 84.8% |
| Queen Ediths | 176 | 26 | 202 | 87.1% |
| Histon & Impington | 169 | 13 | 182 | 92.9% |
| Melbourn | 154 | 27 | 181 | 85.1% |
| Castle | 162 | 15 | 177 | 91.5% |
| West Chesterton | 153 | 17 | 170 | 90.0% |
| Petersfield | 157 | 11 | 168 | 93.5% |
| Milton & Waterbeach | 152 | 8 | 160 | 95.0% |
| Caxton & Papworth | 149 | 11 | 160 | 93.1% |
| Duxford | 137 | 13 | 150 | 91.3% |
| Romsey | 130 | 14 | 144 | 90.3% |
| Foxton | 124 | 18 | 142 | 87.3% |
| Over & Willingham | 129 | 13 | 142 | 90.8% |
| Girton | 126 | 12 | 138 | 91.3% |
| Cottenham | 117 | 18 | 135 | 86.7% |
| The Mordens | 122 | 10 | 132 | 92.4% |
| Whittlesford | 113 | 7 | 120 | 94.2% |
| Abbey | 102 | 16 | 118 | 86.4% |
| Caldecote | 104 | 12 | 116 | 89.7% |
Showing top 25 of 43 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 — down 0.2pp 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 21/00919/HFUL Cherry Hinton | Roof extension incorporating rear dormer and part two storey, part single storey | Approved |
| 21/00870/HFUL Caxton & Papworth | Single storey side extension following demolition of existing conservatory | Approved |
| 21/00619/S73 Cottenham | Removal of condition 4 (agricultural occupation) of planning permission C/0439/6 | Approved |
| 21/00633/HFUL Histon & Impington | Two storey and single storey front and rear extensions, window replacement and e | Approved |
| 21/00593/HFUL Girton | Two storey rear extension with first floor balcony, new entrance porch infills a | Refused |
| 21/00277/FUL Trumpington | Erection of new dwelling, garage, summer house and swimming pool following demol | Approved |
| 21/00222/HFUL East Chesterton | Single storey rear extension and part garage conversion. | Approved |
| 21/00113/HFUL Girton | Two storey side extension, single storey front extension, existing window fenest | Approved |
| 21/00032/FUL Barrington | Demolition of existing house and construction of two new 5 bedroom houses along | Approved |
| 20/04182/NMA1 Bar Hill | Non material amendment of planning permission 20/04182/HFUL (Single storey rear | 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 5,770 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 5,770 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 5,770 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Cambridge is 90.4%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.0%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 5,770 planning decisions from Cambridge council. 5,218 were approved and 552 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in Cambridge is 90.4%, 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.