Which ward in Cardiff has the highest planning approval rate?

PENTYRCH AND ST FAGANS at 97.9% based on 48 decisions.

Which ward in Cardiff has the lowest planning approval rate?

LLANISHEN at 50.4% based on 127 decisions.

How much do planning approval rates vary across Cardiff?

There is a 47.5% gap between PENTYRCH AND ST FAGANS and LLANISHEN. Your postcode significantly affects outcomes.

Planning Approval Rates by Ward in Cardiff

Planning outcomes in Cardiff are highly localised. The gap between the most and least permissive wards is 47.5% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

4,367 real decisions·28 wards·Updated March 2026

81.9% approved overall. But 792 applications refused since 2020. Where you live in Cardiff shifts your odds by up to 47.5%. The council average doesn't tell you which side of that gap you're on.

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All 28 wards ranked

#	Ward	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	PENTYRCH AND ST FAGANS	48	47	1	97.9%
2	LISVANE AND THORNHILL	63	61	2	96.8%
3	ADAMSDOWN	46	40	6	87.0%
4	CATHAYS	239	205	34	85.8%
5	BUTETOWN	95	80	15	84.2%
6	GRANGETOWN	99	83	16	83.8%
7	LLANDAFF	134	108	26	80.6%
8	CYNCOED	138	111	27	80.4%
9	PLASNEWYDD	117	93	24	79.5%
10	WHITCHURCH AND TONGWYNLAIS	172	135	37	78.5%
11	SPLOTT	64	49	15	76.6%
12	CANTON	67	51	16	76.1%
13	RHIWBINA	130	98	32	75.4%
14	RADYR AND MORGANSTOWN	57	43	14	75.4%
15	RIVERSIDE	119	89	30	74.8%
16	PENYLAN	136	98	38	72.1%
17	HEATH	124	89	35	71.8%
18	PONTPRENNAU AND OLD ST MELLONS	80	56	24	70.0%
19	LLANRUMNEY	26	18	8	69.2%
20	ELY	18	12	6	66.7%
21	CREIGIAU AND ST FAGANS	50	33	17	66.0%
22	FAIRWATER	41	27	14	65.9%
23	GABALFA	32	21	11	65.6%
24	TROWBRIDGE	67	40	27	59.7%
25	RUMNEY	49	29	20	59.2%
26	CAERAU	33	18	15	54.5%
27	PENTWYN	49	26	23	53.1%
28	LLANISHEN	127	64	63	50.4%

See how this applies to your postcode →

These are council averages. Your property is specific.

An extension might sail through in PENTYRCH AND ST FAGANS but face serious resistance in LLANISHEN.
Check your postcode to see what actually happens near your address.

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What the data tells us

A 47.5% gap separates the best and worst wards. PENTYRCH AND ST FAGANS approves 97.9% of applications while LLANISHEN approves just 50.4%. 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

792 planning applications in Cardiff have been refused since 2020. Many of those homeowners had already paid for drawings and application fees. A £79 report shows you what gets approved — and what gets refused — near your property.

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More Cardiff planning data

Methodology: Covers 4,367 planning decisions in Cardiff, January 2020 to present. Approval rate = approved / (approved + refused). Pending, withdrawn and invalid excluded. Ward boundaries reflect current electoral divisions. Data from Cardiff Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →