County Durham planning approval rate
County Durham council approved 95.0% of planning applications and refused 5.0%, based on 14,377 decisions analysed. Ranked 188th out of 221 councils for strictness.
Last updated: March 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to present
95.0%
overall approval rate
Planning in County Durham?
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 County Durham. 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 County Durham — mined from 14,377 proposal descriptions.
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within County Durham. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
Elvet And Gilesgate (Historic) (820 decided)
93.4%
Barnard Castle West (Historic) (790 decided)
97.3%
Weardale (Historic) (650 decided)
95.7%
Barnard Castle East (Historic) (607 decided)
96.7%
Neville's Cross (Historic) (606 decided)
92.2%
Sedgefield (Historic) (369 decided)
97.3%
Lanchester (Historic) (364 decided)
93.1%
Belmont (Historic) (362 decided)
96.7%
Evenwood (Historic) (332 decided)
93.7%
Coxhoe (Historic) (319 decided)
95.0%
Leadgate And Medomsley (Historic) (318 decided)
93.7%
Framwellgate And Newton Hall (Historic) (301 decided)
97.3%
Bishop Auckland Town (Historic) (276 decided)
98.6%
Esh And Witton Gilbert (Historic) (260 decided)
97.3%
Willington And Hunwick (Historic) (240 decided)
91.2%
Deerness (Historic) (215 decided)
95.8%
Sherburn (Historic) (211 decided)
95.7%
Shildon And Dene Valley (Historic) (208 decided)
95.7%
Blackhalls (Historic) (206 decided)
91.3%
West Auckland (Historic) (196 decided)
97.4%
Wards in County Durham
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in County Durham, showing how the council decides real applications.
Single storey pitched roof extension to rear with flue. · Pelton · Tue 03 Mar 2026
Change of use from 1No 3 bedroom dwellinghouse to 2No 2 bedroom flats with singl · Belmont · Tue 03 Mar 2026
Proposed detached garage and main house extension including ground and first flo · Pelton · Tue 03 Mar 2026
Showing 3 of 200 comparable decisions. See all 200 in the Pro Report →
What gets approved near your property?
In County Durham, 1 in 20 applications are refused. Your PlanningLens Pro Report gives you 17 pages of intelligence specific to your property:
✓ Ward-level approval rates for your exact area
✓ Common refusal reasons in County Durham
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Get County Durham Pro Report — £79
Less than one set of revised drawings. Based on 14,377 decisions.
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