Chelmsford Council approves 85.7% of planning applications, based on 505 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 87.9%. Chelmsford sits 2.2 percentage points below the national average.
Enter your postcode for a personalised approval likelihood score — 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 Chelmsford.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 433 | 72 | 505 | 85.7% |
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.
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 |
|---|
Real residential planning decisions from Chelmsford council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| 26/00012/FUL | Single storey rear extension | Approved |
| 25/01679/FUL | Extension of close boarded fence | Approved |
| 25/01570/FUL | Conversion of a rural outbuilding to form a single dwelling with new bike store. | Approved |
| 25/01433/FUL | Change of use from a single residential dwelling house (Use Class C3) to a resid | Refused |
| 26/00056/FUL | Rear dormer with associated loft conversion and fenestration alterations. | Approved |
| 26/00026/FUL | Part single, part two storey rear extension. New front porch. Alterations to fen | Approved |
| 26/00014/FUL | Proposed Garden Outbuilding | Approved |
| 26/00004/FUL | Erection of a detached garage | Approved |
| 25/01744/FUL | Removal of existing rear conservatory and garage to facilitate the formation of | Approved |
| 25/01581/FUL | Demolition of existing dwelling, garage, annex, and outbuildings and erection of | Approved |
Find out what actually gets approved near your address first. Your Pro Report analyses the 20 nearest decisions to your property, ward-specific refusal patterns, and extension-by-extension approval patterns. Based on Chelmsford's 505 real decisions. Delivered by email in minutes.
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Dig deeper into Chelmsford's planning statistics — by ward, extension type, or project category:
Data-driven guides to help you understand planning approval patterns:
Based on 505 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Chelmsford is 85.7%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 87.9%. However, rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 505 planning decisions from Chelmsford council. 433 were approved and 72 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in Chelmsford is 85.7%, but outcomes depend heavily on your specific ward, the type of extension or development you are proposing, and local planning policy. Use the PlanningLens free postcode check to get a personalised score.