Canterbury planning approval rate

Canterbury council approved 95.0% of planning applications and refused 5.0%, based on 10,484 decisions analysed. Ranked 198th out of 237 councils for strictness.

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

95.0%

overall approval rate

10,484

Decisions analysed

9,962

Approved

522

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 (4,785 decided)

92.0%

Other (3,974 decided)

99.0%

Listed Building (603 decided)

94.9%

Trees (433 decided)

97.9%

Discharge of Conditions (260 decided)

96.2%

Advertisement (234 decided)

89.7%

Prior Approval (177 decided)

93.8%

Certificate of Lawfulness (18 decided)

22.2%

Approval rate by project type

These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Canterbury — mined from 10,484 proposal descriptions.

Rear Extension (1,936 decided)

96.2%

Garage / Parking (1,421 decided)

94.2%

Side Extension (1,152 decided)

97.4%

Dormer (641 decided)

93.4%

Outbuilding (563 decided)

94.8%

Conservatory (415 decided)

98.3%

Extension (General) (352 decided)

94.0%

Change of Use (Residential) (329 decided)

79.3%

Wraparound Extension (235 decided)

98.3%

Loft Conversion (227 decided)

91.2%

Front Extension (201 decided)

96.0%

New Build (123 decided)

86.2%

Annex (89 decided)

95.5%

Hip-to-Gable Conversion (52 decided)

94.2%

Flat Conversion (35 decided)

82.9%

Basement (28 decided)

89.3%

HMO (13 decided)

84.6%

Approval rate by ward

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

Gorrell (1,048 decided)

95.0%

Westgate (881 decided)

91.9%

Chartham And Stone Street (777 decided)

94.3%

Barton (770 decided)

95.7%

Nailbourne (711 decided)

97.3%

Chestfield (614 decided)

96.1%

Heron (601 decided)

92.8%

Little Stour And Adisham (597 decided)

97.0%

Sturry (569 decided)

96.5%

Blean Forest (512 decided)

95.7%

Seasalter (504 decided)

91.5%

Wincheap (463 decided)

95.7%

Herne And Broomfield (430 decided)

95.6%

Reculver (379 decided)

95.5%

Tankerton (303 decided)

95.4%

St Stephens (275 decided)

97.8%

Beltinge (262 decided)

91.6%

Northgate (243 decided)

95.5%

Swalecliffe (193 decided)

96.4%

Greenhill (176 decided)

95.5%

Wards in Canterbury

Gorrell

95.0% approval · 1,048 decisions

Westgate

91.9% approval · 881 decisions

Chartham And Stone Street

94.3% approval · 777 decisions

Barton

95.7% approval · 770 decisions

Nailbourne

97.3% approval · 711 decisions

Chestfield

96.1% approval · 614 decisions

Heron

92.8% approval · 601 decisions

Little Stour And Adisham

97.0% approval · 597 decisions

Sturry

96.5% approval · 569 decisions

Blean Forest

95.7% approval · 512 decisions

Seasalter

91.5% approval · 504 decisions

Wincheap

95.7% approval · 463 decisions

Herne And Broomfield

95.6% approval · 430 decisions

Reculver

95.5% approval · 379 decisions

Tankerton

95.4% approval · 303 decisions

St Stephens

97.8% approval · 275 decisions

Beltinge

91.6% approval · 262 decisions

Northgate

95.5% approval · 243 decisions

Swalecliffe

96.4% approval · 193 decisions

Greenhill

95.5% approval · 176 decisions

Recent comparable decisions

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

CA/26/00255

Details submitted pursuant to condition 4 (Windows) of listed building consent C · Westgate · Mon 30 Mar 2026

Approved

CA/26/00254

Single-storey side extension following the demolition of existing side lean-to. · Sturry · Mon 30 Mar 2026

Approved

CA/26/00069

Details submitted pursuant to conditions 3 (materials) and 4 (windows and doors) · Reculver · Mon 30 Mar 2026

Approved

Showing 3 of 200 comparable decisions. See all 200 in the full report →

What gets approved near your property?

In Canterbury, 1 in 20 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 Canterbury
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect

Free planning check for Canterbury →

Free. Based on 10,484 decisions.

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