Canterbury planning approval rate

Canterbury council approved 94.6% of planning applications and refused 5.4%, based on 4,270 decisions analysed. Ranked 190th out of 235 councils for strictness.

Last updated: April 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to present

94.6%

overall approval rate

4,270

Decisions analysed

4,040

Approved

230

Refused

Wards covered

Planning in Canterbury? 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 Canterbury. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.

Full (2,152 decided)

92.1%

Other (1,463 decided)

98.6%

Listed Building (211 decided)

93.4%

Trees (174 decided)

98.9%

Discharge of Conditions (113 decided)

94.7%

Prior Approval (88 decided)

92.0%

Advertisement (63 decided)

95.2%

Approval rate by project type

These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Canterbury — mined from 4,270 proposal descriptions.

Rear Extension (893 decided)

95.3%

Garage / Parking (654 decided)

92.5%

Side Extension (511 decided)

96.5%

Dormer (297 decided)

91.6%

Outbuilding (222 decided)

94.1%

Conservatory (189 decided)

97.9%

Extension (General) (144 decided)

93.1%

Change of Use (Residential) (136 decided)

78.7%

Wraparound Extension (110 decided)

96.4%

Loft Conversion (94 decided)

86.2%

Front Extension (74 decided)

93.2%

New Build (60 decided)

78.3%

Annex (34 decided)

94.1%

Flat Conversion (17 decided)

88.2%

Hip-to-Gable Conversion (16 decided)

100.0%

Basement (16 decided)

81.2%

Approval rate by ward

Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Canterbury. Click any ward for detailed statistics.

Gorrell (445 decided)

94.6%

Westgate (316 decided)

91.8%

Barton (312 decided)

94.9%

Chestfield (289 decided)

96.5%

Nailbourne (284 decided)

97.5%

Chartham And Stone Street (280 decided)

93.6%

Little Stour And Adisham (256 decided)

94.5%

Heron (241 decided)

91.3%

Sturry (228 decided)

96.1%

Herne And Broomfield (205 decided)

97.1%

Seasalter (188 decided)

90.4%

Blean Forest (178 decided)

94.4%

Wincheap (176 decided)

95.5%

Reculver (153 decided)

94.1%

Tankerton (145 decided)

95.9%

St Stephens (124 decided)

99.2%

Beltinge (113 decided)

91.2%

Northgate (110 decided)

96.4%

Swalecliffe (78 decided)

92.3%

Greenhill (65 decided)

93.8%

Wards in Canterbury

Gorrell

94.6% approval · 445 decisions

Westgate

91.8% approval · 316 decisions

Barton

94.9% approval · 312 decisions

Chestfield

96.5% approval · 289 decisions

Nailbourne

97.5% approval · 284 decisions

Chartham And Stone Street

93.6% approval · 280 decisions

Little Stour And Adisham

94.5% approval · 256 decisions

Heron

91.3% approval · 241 decisions

Sturry

96.1% approval · 228 decisions

Herne And Broomfield

97.1% approval · 205 decisions

Seasalter

90.4% approval · 188 decisions

Blean Forest

94.4% approval · 178 decisions

Wincheap

95.5% approval · 176 decisions

Reculver

94.1% approval · 153 decisions

Tankerton

95.9% approval · 145 decisions

St Stephens

99.2% approval · 124 decisions

Beltinge

91.2% approval · 113 decisions

Northgate

96.4% approval · 110 decisions

Swalecliffe

92.3% approval · 78 decisions

Greenhill

93.8% approval · 65 decisions

Recent comparable decisions

The most recent residential planning decisions in Canterbury, showing how the council decides real applications.

CA/22/02596

T2) Beech tree - fell located in rear garden. · Blean Forest · Wed 04 Jan 2023

Approved

CA/22/02400

Change of use from education centre to 2 dwellings. · Westgate · Wed 04 Jan 2023

Refused

CA/22/02554

T1 - To re-pollard Contorted Willow tree in front garden and remove Ivy from upp · Gorrell · Wed 04 Jan 2023

Approved

Showing 3 of 200 comparable decisions. See all 200 in the Pro Report →

What gets approved near your property?

In Canterbury, 1 in 19 applications are refused. Your PlanningLens Pro Report gives you 17 pages of intelligence specific to your property:

✓ Ward-level approval rates for your exact area
✓ Common refusal reasons in Canterbury
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect

Get Canterbury Pro Report — £79

Less than one set of revised drawings. Based on 4,270 decisions.

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