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Planning Approval Rates by Ward in County Durham

Planning outcomes in County Durham are highly localised. The gap between the most and least permissive wards is 22.7% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

15,049 real decisions·112 wards·Updated June 2026
100.0%
Highest: Horden (Historic)
77.3%
Lowest: Annfield Plain And T
22.7%
Gap
112
Wards
94.9% approved overall. But 763 applications refused since 2020. Where you live in County Durham shifts your odds by up to 22.7%. The council average doesn't tell you which side of that gap you're on.

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All 112 wards ranked

#WardDecisionsApprovedRefusedRate
1Horden (Historic)54540
100.0%
2Deneside (Historic)49490
100.0%
3Spennymoor43430
100.0%
4Ferryhill44440
100.0%
5Castle Eden And Passfield38380
100.0%
6Aycliffe North And Middridge18180
100.0%
7Lumley And West Rainton53530
100.0%
8Pittington And Sherburn14140
100.0%
9Peterlee13130
100.0%
10Consett North18180
100.0%
11Bishop Middleham And Cornforth (Historic)78771
98.7%
12Bishop Auckland Town (Historic)2762724
98.6%
13Chester-le-Street South1201182
98.3%
14Chester-le-Street North (Historic)53521
98.1%
15Passfield (Historic)54531
98.1%
16Barnard Castle54531
98.1%
17Sacriston And Witton Gilbert44431
97.7%
18Consett North (Historic)1251223
97.6%
19Chester-le-Street East (Historic)80782
97.5%
20Durham South (Historic)1631594
97.5%
21Tudhoe40391
97.5%
22West Auckland (Historic)1961915
97.4%
23Peterlee East (Historic)74722
97.3%
24Barnard Castle West (Historic)79177021
97.3%
25Framwellgate And Newton Hall (Historic)3012938
97.3%
26Sedgefield (Historic)36935910
97.3%
27Esh And Witton Gilbert (Historic)2602537
97.3%
28Aycliffe West (Historic)36351
97.2%
29Brandon34331
97.1%
30Lumley (Historic)1691645
97.0%
31Woodhouse Close (Historic)100973
97.0%
32Crook (Historic)1911856
96.9%
33Pelton32311
96.9%
34Barnard Castle East (Historic)60758720
96.7%
35Belmont (Historic)36235012
96.7%
36Spennymoor (Historic)1831776
96.7%
37Seaham (Historic)1441395
96.5%
38Stanley (Historic)55532
96.4%
39Aycliffe East (Historic)1921857
96.4%
40West Auckland55532
96.4%
41Aycliffe North And Middridge (Historic)77743
96.1%
42Chilton (Historic)101974
96.0%
43Peterlee West (Historic)73703
95.9%
44Sacriston (Historic)1211165
95.9%
45Deerness (Historic)2152069
95.8%
46Sherburn (Historic)2112029
95.7%
47Weardale (Historic)65062228
95.7%
48Shildon And Dene Valley (Historic)2081999
95.7%
49Framwellgate And Newton Hall69663
95.7%
50North Lodge23221
95.7%
51Dalton And Dawdon23221
95.7%
52Chester-le-Street West Central (Historic)1111065
95.5%
53Tow Law (Historic)1061015
95.3%
54Benfieldside (Historic)1911829
95.3%
55Neville's Cross1061015
95.3%
56Tudhoe (Historic)1891809
95.2%
57Easington (Historic)1891809
95.2%
58Aycliffe South61583
95.1%
59Coxhoe (Historic)32030416
95.0%
60Trimdon And Thornley (Historic)1801719
95.0%
61Delves Lane (Historic)92875
94.6%
62Burnopfield And Dipton (Historic)1411338
94.3%
63Langley And Esh35332
94.3%
64Brandon (Historic)18517411
94.1%
65Stanley34322
94.1%
66Murton51483
94.1%
67Pelton (Historic)16215210
93.8%
68North Lodge (Historic)1121057
93.8%
69Annfield Plain (Historic)80755
93.8%
70Coundon (Historic)64604
93.8%
71Murton (Historic)1291218
93.8%
72Bishop Auckland64604
93.8%
73Leadgate And Medomsley (Historic)31829820
93.7%
74Evenwood (Historic)33331221
93.7%
75Ferryhill (Historic)1111047
93.7%
76Deerness46433
93.5%
77Elvet And Gilesgate (Historic)82176655
93.3%
78Lanchester (Historic)36433925
93.1%
79Craghead And South Moor (Historic)58544
93.1%
80Consett South (Historic)43403
93.0%
81Blackhalls And Hesledens14131
92.9%
82Chilton14131
92.9%
83Tanfield (Historic)16615412
92.8%
84Bowburn And Coxhoe83776
92.8%
85Benfieldside41383
92.7%
86Elvet, Gilesgate And Shincliffe19017614
92.6%
87Dawdon (Historic)13212210
92.4%
88Neville's Cross (Historic)60655947
92.2%
89Easington And Shotton64595
92.2%
90Upper Teesdale14613412
91.8%
91Shildon And Dene Valley48444
91.7%
92Trimdon And Wingate36333
91.7%
93Belmont83767
91.6%
94Blackhalls (Historic)20618818
91.3%
95Delves Lane23212
91.3%
96Willington And Hunwick (Historic)24021921
91.2%
97Wingate (Historic)44404
90.9%
98Lanchester And Burnhope55505
90.9%
99Derwent And Pont Valley76697
90.8%
100Weardale1089810
90.7%
101Chester-le-Street North32293
90.6%
102Thornley And Wheatley Hill31283
90.3%
103Shotton And South Hetton (Historic)12010812
90.0%
104Lower Teesdale11410212
89.5%
105Sedgefield71638
88.7%
106Willington And Hunwick35314
88.6%
107Seaham24213
87.5%
108Consett South15132
86.7%
109Evenwood42366
85.7%
110Horden And Dene House27234
85.2%
111Crook675611
83.6%
112Annfield Plain And Tanfield22175
77.3%
See how this applies to your postcode →

These are council averages. Your property is specific.

An extension might sail through in Horden (Historic) but face serious resistance in Annfield Plain And Tanfield.
Check your postcode to see what actually happens near your address.

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What the data tells us

1
A 22.7% gap separates the best and worst wards. Horden (Historic) approves 100.0% of applications while Annfield Plain And Tanfield approves just 77.3%. That's a fundamentally different planning environment.
2
High volume doesn't mean high approval. Some of the busiest wards aren't the most permissive. The number of applications a ward processes tells you nothing about how likely yours is to succeed.
3
Ward averages are a starting point, not a guarantee. Your specific outcome depends on your property, your neighbours, your proposal type and the comparable decisions near your address.

Before you spend £5,000+ on architects and drawings

763 planning applications in County Durham have been refused since 2020. Many of those homeowners had already paid for drawings and application fees. A free, property-specific report shows you what gets approved — and what gets refused — near your property.

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More County Durham planning data

Nearby councils ward breakdowns

Methodology: Covers 15,049 planning decisions in County Durham, January 2020 to present. Approval rate = approved / (approved + refused). Pending, withdrawn and invalid excluded. Ward boundaries reflect current electoral divisions. Data from County Durham Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →
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