Which ward in Canterbury has the highest planning approval rate?

St Stephens at 97.6% based on 286 decisions.

Which ward in Canterbury has the lowest planning approval rate?

Beltinge at 91.5% based on 271 decisions.

How much do planning approval rates vary across Canterbury?

There is a 6.1% gap between St Stephens and Beltinge. Your postcode significantly affects outcomes.

Planning Approval Rates by Ward in Canterbury

Planning outcomes in Canterbury are highly localised. The gap between the most and least permissive wards is 6.1% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

10,849 real decisions·21 wards·Updated June 2026

95.0% approved overall. But 540 applications refused since 2020. Where you live in Canterbury shifts your odds by up to 6.1%. The council average doesn't tell you which side of that gap you're on.

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All 21 wards ranked

#	Ward	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	St Stephens	286	279	7	97.6%
2	Nailbourne	733	713	20	97.3%
3	Little Stour And Adisham	621	603	18	97.1%
4	Sturry	592	572	20	96.6%
5	Chestfield	640	616	24	96.2%
6	West Bay	130	125	5	96.2%
7	Swalecliffe	202	194	8	96.0%
8	Wincheap	482	462	20	95.9%
9	Blean Forest	522	500	22	95.8%
10	Herne And Broomfield	439	420	19	95.7%
11	Northgate	248	237	11	95.6%
12	Barton	797	761	36	95.5%
13	Tankerton	309	295	14	95.5%
14	Greenhill	179	171	8	95.5%
15	Gorrell	1,082	1,029	53	95.1%
16	Reculver	396	375	21	94.7%
17	Chartham And Stone Street	811	764	47	94.2%
18	Heron	623	579	44	92.9%
19	Westgate	915	843	72	92.1%
20	Seasalter	520	476	44	91.5%
21	Beltinge	271	248	23	91.5%

See how this applies to your postcode →

These are council averages. Your property is specific.

An extension might sail through in St Stephens but face serious resistance in Beltinge.
Check your postcode to see what actually happens near your address.

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What the data tells us

A 6.1% gap separates the best and worst wards. St Stephens approves 97.6% of applications while Beltinge approves just 91.5%. That's a fundamentally different planning environment.

High volume doesn't mean high approval. Some of the busiest wards aren't the most permissive. The number of applications a ward processes tells you nothing about how likely yours is to succeed.

Ward averages are a starting point, not a guarantee. Your specific outcome depends on your property, your neighbours, your proposal type and the comparable decisions near your address.

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

540 planning applications in Canterbury 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.

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

More Canterbury planning data

Methodology: Covers 10,849 planning decisions in Canterbury, January 2020 to present. Approval rate = approved / (approved + refused). Pending, withdrawn and invalid excluded. Ward boundaries reflect current electoral divisions. Data from Canterbury Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →