Cotswold Council approves 92.6% of planning applications, based on 10,613 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. Cotswold sits 7.6 percentage points above the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 2,958 decided applications, Cotswold Council approved 93.9% of planning applications in 2025. Across 10,613 decisions on record (January 2018 to September 2026), the overall approval rate in Cotswold is 92.6%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Cotswold council planning portal records · Data to 29 September 2026 · Quote freely with attribution
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Not all applications are treated equally. Extension types, listed building consent, and change of use applications each have very different success rates in Cotswold.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | 9,213 | 633 | 9,846 | 93.6% |
| Trees | 6,886 | 26 | 6,912 | 99.6% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 2,957 | 42 | 2,999 | 98.6% |
| Listed Building | 2,411 | 137 | 2,548 | 94.6% |
| Other | 1,543 | 165 | 1,708 | 90.3% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 475 | 65 | 540 | 88.0% |
| Advertisement | 159 | 17 | 176 | 90.3% |
| Prior Approval | 89 | 12 | 101 | 88.1% |
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, your free property report is emailed in minutes.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Campden & Vale | 1,661 | 69 | 1,730 | 96.0% |
| Coln Valley | 1,568 | 54 | 1,622 | 96.7% |
| Fosseridge | 1,477 | 72 | 1,549 | 95.4% |
| Bourton Vale | 1,338 | 77 | 1,415 | 94.6% |
| Ermin | 1,185 | 68 | 1,253 | 94.6% |
| Lechlade, Kempsford & Fairford South | 1,170 | 63 | 1,233 | 94.9% |
| Kemble | 1,163 | 37 | 1,200 | 96.9% |
| Sandywell | 1,141 | 53 | 1,194 | 95.6% |
| The Ampneys & Hampton | 1,093 | 59 | 1,152 | 94.9% |
| Grumbolds Ash With Avening | 1,029 | 36 | 1,065 | 96.6% |
| Blockley | 978 | 47 | 1,025 | 95.4% |
| Chedworth & Churn Valley | 937 | 58 | 995 | 94.2% |
| The Rissingtons | 816 | 54 | 870 | 93.8% |
| Stow | 810 | 38 | 848 | 95.5% |
| Northleach | 776 | 39 | 815 | 95.2% |
| Tetbury East & Rural | 720 | 32 | 752 | 95.7% |
| Siddington & Cerney Rural | 705 | 43 | 748 | 94.3% |
| Abbey | 695 | 7 | 702 | 99.0% |
| St Michaels | 561 | 18 | 579 | 96.9% |
| Tetbury With Upton | 541 | 24 | 565 | 95.8% |
| Moreton West | 525 | 16 | 541 | 97.0% |
| Bourton Village | 486 | 27 | 513 | 94.7% |
| Watermoor | 473 | 15 | 488 | 96.9% |
| Fairford North | 424 | 7 | 431 | 98.4% |
| South Cerney Village | 289 | 11 | 300 | 96.3% |
Showing top 25 of 32 wards by volume. Your free property report includes the full ward breakdown.
See full ward breakdown →How Cotswold’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, down 1.9pp since 2018.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from Cotswold council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| 26/02798/TCONR Siddington & Cerney Rural | T1 Holly.- reduce height by approximately 1.5 metres- reduce right hand side by | Approved |
| 26/02784/TCONR Northleach | Hawthorn next to the garage. Trim hard all over to leave in a spherical shape | Approved |
| 26/02766/TCONR Coln Valley | T1 - Yew - reduce side growth back to inside of wall and raise up by approx 3m a | Approved |
| 26/02440/FUL Chedworth & Churn Valley | Replacement of existing stables with single stable block and associated works | Approved |
| 26/02163/FUL Fosseridge | Demolition of existing single-storey bungalow and erection of a replacement sing | Approved |
| 26/01791/FUL Watermoor | Addition of supply and extract ventilation and change of use from shop to a comb | Approved |
| 26/02908/TCONR Sandywell | To fell to ground level small Mountain Ash tree in front of property | Approved |
| 26/02176/FUL Coln Valley | Erection of store building | Approved |
| 26/01804/FUL Siddington & Cerney Rural | Erection of single storey rear kitchen extension. Erection of 4 bay framed car p | Approved |
| 26/02423/LBC Coln Valley | Landscaping works, including removal of outdoor fireplace and associated works ( | Approved |
Find out what actually gets approved near your address first. Your free property report analyses the 20 nearest decisions to your property, ward-specific refusal patterns, and extension-by-extension approval patterns. Based on Cotswold's 10,613 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare Cotswold's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
Dig deeper into Cotswold's planning statistics, by ward, extension type, or project category:
Data-driven guides to help you understand planning approval patterns:
Yes. PlanningLens offers a free planning permission check for Cotswold. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 10,613 real decisions from Cotswold council. The full property-specific report is also free and emailed within minutes.
Enter your postcode on PlanningLens for a free instant check based on Cotswold's real planning decisions. The free property report goes further: it analyses the 20 nearest comparable decisions to your property, ward-level refusal patterns, and approval rates by application type. Free and emailed within minutes.
Based on 10,613 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Cotswold is 92.6%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 10,613 planning decisions from Cotswold council. 9,823 were approved and 790 were refused. These figures cover every decision on record for the council, January 2018 to September 2026.
The average approval rate in Cotswold is 92.6%, but outcomes depend heavily on your specific ward, the type of extension or development you are proposing, and local planning policy. Use the free PlanningLens postcode check to get a personalised score.
Writing about planning in Cotswold? These figures are free to republish with attribution. Copy the one-line citation, or paste the stat box into any website, CMS or newsletter, it carries its own styling and links back to this page for verification.