Chichester planning approval rate
Chichester council approved 90.0% of planning applications and refused 10.0%, based on 4,628 decisions analysed. Ranked 122nd out of 300 councils for strictness.
Last updated: August 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to August 2026
90.0%
overall approval rate
4,628
Decisions analysed
4,164
Approved
464
Refused
17
Wards covered
Planning in Chichester? 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 Chichester. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.
88.9%
94.4%
88.8%
98.2%
93.3%
89.0%
86.2%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Chichester, mined from 4,628 proposal descriptions.
88.8%
95.0%
94.8%
90.3%
90.9%
88.8%
97.6%
77.7%
95.9%
80.2%
89.3%
93.3%
94.4%
100.0%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Chichester. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
The Witterings
90.7%
Harbour Villages
91.7%
Loxwood
84.2%
Chichester Central
92.1%
North Mundham And Tangmere
90.3%
Sidlesham With Selsey North
86.5%
Southbourne
89.5%
Chichester North
94.8%
Chichester West
90.8%
Selsey South
85.9%
Chichester South
93.0%
Chichester East
92.0%
Goodwood
94.6%
Westbourne
78.9%
Lavant
88.0%
Special Code For BLPUs Outside District
100.0%
Fernhurst
88.1%
Wards in Chichester
The Witterings
90.7% approval · 814 decisions
Harbour Villages
91.7% approval · 565 decisions
Loxwood
84.2% approval · 419 decisions
Chichester Central
92.1% approval · 356 decisions
North Mundham And Tangmere
90.3% approval · 331 decisions
Sidlesham With Selsey North
86.5% approval · 288 decisions
Southbourne
89.5% approval · 257 decisions
Chichester North
94.8% approval · 229 decisions
Chichester West
90.8% approval · 206 decisions
Selsey South
85.9% approval · 177 decisions
Chichester South
93.0% approval · 128 decisions
Chichester East
92.0% approval · 112 decisions
Goodwood
94.6% approval · 112 decisions
Westbourne
78.9% approval · 95 decisions
Lavant
88.0% approval · 92 decisions
Special Code For BLPUs Outside District
100.0% approval · 48 decisions
Fernhurst
88.1% approval · 42 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in Chichester, showing how the council decides real applications.
Demolition of existing glass houses and packing workshop/office and erection of · The Witterings · Tue 04 Aug 2026
Single storey side extension and proposed new drive and parking for one car. · Westbourne · Mon 03 Aug 2026
Prior approval - change of use of part of packing shed. · Harbour Villages · Fri 31 Jul 2026
Showing 3 recent comparable decisions. See more in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In Chichester, 1 in 10 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 Chichester
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for Chichester →
✓ Common refusal reasons in Chichester
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free. Based on 4,628 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in Chichester
What is the planning approval rate in Chichester?
Based on 4,628 planning decisions analysed since 2020, Chichester approved 90.0% of applications and refused 10.0%. The council is ranked 122nd out of 300 UK councils for approval rate.
How many planning applications are refused in Chichester?
Chichester refuses 10.0% of planning applications, roughly 1 in 10. That is lower than the UK average of 11.4%. Out of 4,628 decided applications since 2020, 464 were refused. PlanningLens lets you check any postcode to see which applications were refused near a specific property.
Which areas of Chichester have the highest planning approval rates?
The highest approval rates in Chichester are in Chichester North (94.8%), Goodwood (94.6%), and Chichester South (93.0%). Approval rates vary significantly by ward, see the full ward breakdown above.
What types of planning application are most common in Chichester?
The most common planning application types in Chichester are: Full (2,135 decisions, 88.9% approved), Discharge of Conditions (770, 94.4%), and Other (635, 88.8%).
How long does a planning application take in Chichester?
Planning applications in Chichester take an average of 12.3 weeks to reach a decision, measured across 4,600 decisions with a recorded timeline. That is slower than the 8-week statutory target for householder applications (the statutory targets are 8 weeks for householder applications and 13 weeks for major developments). PlanningLens measures the actual time each application takes, not just the target. Chichester decides approximately 771 planning applications per year.
How do I check planning applications in Chichester?
You can search planning applications in Chichester directly on the council's official planning portal. PlanningLens also lets you check any postcode against 4,628 historical decisions in Chichester to see what's been approved and refused near a specific property.
How is PlanningLens approval rate data for Chichester calculated?
PlanningLens scrapes Chichester's official planning portal and analyses every published decision since January 2020. The approval rate is calculated as approved decisions divided by total decided applications, excluding withdrawn and pending applications. The full methodology, data sourcing, and Creative Commons BY 4.0 licensing terms are published at planninglens.co.uk/methodology.