Cornwall planning approval rate
Cornwall council approved 93.9% of planning applications and refused 6.1%, based on 6,212 decisions analysed. Ranked 176th out of 237 councils for strictness.
Last updated: May 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to present
93.9%
overall approval rate
Planning in Cornwall?
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 Cornwall. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Cornwall — mined from 6,212 proposal descriptions.
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Cornwall. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
St Agnes (130 decided)
95.4%
Padstow (124 decided)
95.2%
Poundstock (121 decided)
95.9%
St Minver And St Endellion (110 decided)
97.3%
Launceston North And North Petherwin (85 decided)
92.9%
Perranporth (83 decided)
91.6%
Roseland (79 decided)
91.1%
Penryn East And Mylor (74 decided)
94.6%
St Ives East (71 decided)
95.8%
Feock And Playing Place (70 decided)
88.6%
St Mawgan And Colan (68 decided)
95.6%
St Issey And St Tudy (67 decided)
94.0%
St Keverne And Meneage (67 decided)
95.5%
Chacewater, Kenwyn And Baldhu (66 decided)
87.9%
Penzance Promenade (65 decided)
98.5%
Altarnun And Stoke Climsland (63 decided)
98.4%
Newlyn And Mousehole (59 decided)
91.5%
Crowan And Wendron (58 decided)
91.4%
Newlyn And Goonhavern (58 decided)
89.7%
Wards in Cornwall
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in Cornwall, showing how the council decides real applications.
Proposed extension · Callington And St Dominic · Wed 15 Oct 2025
Erection of a single-storey extension to the South-West elevation of the dwellin · St Stephen-In-Brannel · Wed 15 Oct 2025
A new two-storey extension (to replace an existing single storey extension), a s · Mylor, Perranarworthal And Ponsanooth · Wed 15 Oct 2025
Showing 3 of 200 comparable decisions. See all 200 in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In Cornwall, 1 in 16 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 Cornwall
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for Cornwall →
Free. Based on 6,212 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils