Cotswold Council approves 95.7% of planning applications, based on 24,038 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.3%. Cotswold sits 7.4 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 24,038 decisions analysed since January 2020, the overall approval rate in Cotswold is 95.7%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.3%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Cotswold council planning portal records · Updated June 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 | 8,987 | 611 | 9,598 | 93.6% |
| Trees | 6,630 | 20 | 6,650 | 99.7% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 2,834 | 41 | 2,875 | 98.6% |
| Listed Building | 2,334 | 132 | 2,466 | 94.6% |
| Other | 1,505 | 156 | 1,661 | 90.6% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 461 | 58 | 519 | 88.8% |
| Advertisement | 155 | 17 | 172 | 90.1% |
| Prior Approval | 87 | 10 | 97 | 89.7% |
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, 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 | 1,628 | 65 | 1,693 | 96.2% |
| Coln Valley | 1,525 | 48 | 1,573 | 96.9% |
| Fosseridge | 1,427 | 66 | 1,493 | 95.6% |
| Bourton Vale | 1,294 | 75 | 1,369 | 94.5% |
| Ermin | 1,151 | 65 | 1,216 | 94.7% |
| Lechlade, Kempsford & Fairford South | 1,137 | 61 | 1,198 | 94.9% |
| Kemble | 1,124 | 37 | 1,161 | 96.8% |
| Sandywell | 1,108 | 51 | 1,159 | 95.6% |
| The Ampneys & Hampton | 1,050 | 56 | 1,106 | 94.9% |
| Grumbolds Ash With Avening | 999 | 35 | 1,034 | 96.6% |
| Blockley | 940 | 47 | 987 | 95.2% |
| Chedworth & Churn Valley | 912 | 57 | 969 | 94.1% |
| The Rissingtons | 793 | 50 | 843 | 94.1% |
| Stow | 785 | 37 | 822 | 95.5% |
| Northleach | 749 | 39 | 788 | 95.1% |
| Tetbury East & Rural | 689 | 29 | 718 | 96.0% |
| Siddington & Cerney Rural | 668 | 42 | 710 | 94.1% |
| Abbey | 677 | 7 | 684 | 99.0% |
| St Michaels | 540 | 18 | 558 | 96.8% |
| Tetbury With Upton | 528 | 22 | 550 | 96.0% |
| Moreton West | 507 | 15 | 522 | 97.1% |
| Bourton Village | 479 | 25 | 504 | 95.0% |
| Watermoor | 449 | 15 | 464 | 96.8% |
| Fairford North | 411 | 6 | 417 | 98.6% |
| South Cerney Village | 282 | 9 | 291 | 96.9% |
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 1.3pp 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 26/01208/FUL Campden & Vale | Erection of two-storey front, side and rear extension, erection of detached doub | Approved |
| 26/01163/FUL Northleach | Erection of 2 outbuildings | Approved |
| 25/03551/FUL Fosseridge | Proposed conversion of a barn to form a self-build dwelling and associated works | Approved |
| 26/01310/FUL Bourton Vale | Erection of single-storey side extension with associated works. Demolition of ex | Approved |
| 26/01044/LBC The Ampneys & Hampton | Installation of two bathroom extract fans with external lead outlets to rear (We | Approved |
| 26/00840/FUL Bourton Vale | Erection of single-storey rear extension, attic conversion including 2 front and | Approved |
| 25/03873/FUL The Ampneys & Hampton | Timber orangery extension to rear elevation of dwelling | Approved |
| 26/00987/FUL Chedworth & Churn Valley | Erection of timber pavilion, installation of hot tub, and erection of oak greenh | Approved |
| 25/01843/LBC Fosseridge | Conversion and renovation of existing barn to ancillary accommodation, new outdo | Approved |
| 25/01842/FUL Fosseridge | Conversion and renovation of existing barn to ancillary accommodation, new outdo | 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 24,038 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 24,038 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 24,038 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Cotswold is 95.7%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.3%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 24,038 planning decisions from Cotswold council. 22,993 were approved and 1,045 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in Cotswold is 95.7%, 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.