Which ward in Dorset has the highest planning approval rate?

Chalk Valleys at 98.1% based on 680 decisions.

Which ward in Dorset has the lowest planning approval rate?

Stour and Allen Vale at 80.6% based on 561 decisions.

How much do planning approval rates vary across Dorset?

There is a 17.5% gap between Chalk Valleys and Stour and Allen Vale. Your postcode significantly affects outcomes.

Dorset Planning Approval Rates by Ward: 57 Wards Compared (2026)

All 57 wards ranked

#	Ward	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	Chalk Valleys	680	667	13	98.1%
2	Dorchester Poundbury	37	36	1	97.3%
3	Ward members	999	970	29	97.1%
4	Dorchester East	357	346	11	96.9%
5	Hill Forts and Upper Tarrants	489	474	15	96.9%
6	Dorchester West	448	434	14	96.9%
7	Sherborne East	310	299	11	96.5%
8	Shaftesbury Town	500	481	19	96.2%
9	Charminster St. Mary's	417	401	16	96.2%
10	Winterborne and Broadmayne	348	334	14	96.0%
11	Puddletown and Lower Winterborne	460	441	19	95.9%
12	Beaminster	305	292	13	95.7%
13	Littlemoor and Preston	352	337	15	95.7%
14	Stalbridge and Marnhull	414	395	19	95.4%
15	West Purbeck	796	759	37	95.4%
16	Blandford	481	458	23	95.2%
17	Sherborne West	239	227	12	95.0%
18	Beacon	857	813	44	94.9%
19	Sherborne Rural	452	427	25	94.5%
20	Chesil Bank	334	315	19	94.3%
21	Sturminster Newton	269	253	16	94.1%
22	Chesil Bank Ward (old number)	319	300	19	94.0%
23	South East Purbeck	787	738	49	93.8%
24	Cranborne Chase	361	338	23	93.6%
25	Gillingham	867	811	56	93.5%
26	Colehill and Wimborne Minster East	616	576	40	93.5%
27	Lyme and Charmouth	538	503	35	93.5%
28	Wimborne Minster	415	388	27	93.5%
29	Yetminster	509	475	34	93.3%
30	Ferndown South	499	465	34	93.2%
31	Bridport	426	396	30	93.0%
32	Eggardon	256	237	19	92.6%
33	Ferndown North	558	516	42	92.5%
34	Radipole	295	272	23	92.2%
35	Swanage	487	449	38	92.2%
36	Eggardon Ward (old number)	290	267	23	92.1%
37	Bridport Ward (old number)	429	395	34	92.1%
38	Crossways	321	295	26	91.9%
39	Rodwell and Wyke	513	471	42	91.8%
40	Marshwood Vale Ward (old number)	282	259	23	91.8%
41	Blackmore Vale	418	383	35	91.6%
42	Cranborne and Alderholt	305	279	26	91.5%
43	St. Leonards and St. Ives	923	838	85	90.8%
44	Wareham	674	611	63	90.7%
45	West Parley	351	316	35	90.0%
46	Westham	89	80	9	89.9%
47	West Moors and Three Legged Cross	355	318	37	89.6%
48	Marshwood Vale	280	250	30	89.3%
49	Portland	386	344	42	89.1%
50	Upwey and Broadwey	318	283	35	89.0%
51	Chickerell	229	203	26	88.6%
52	Corfe Mullen	488	432	56	88.5%
53	Winterborne North	241	211	30	87.6%
54	Verwood	539	470	69	87.2%
55	Lytchett Matravers and Upton	649	565	84	87.1%
56	Melcombe Regis	336	290	46	86.3%
57	Stour and Allen Vale	561	452	109	80.6%

See how this applies to your postcode →

What the data tells us

A 17.5% gap separates the best and worst wards. Chalk Valleys approves 98.1% of applications while Stour and Allen Vale approves just 80.6%. That's a fundamentally different planning environment.

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.

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

927 planning applications in Dorset 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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Planning Approval Rates by Ward in Dorset

Check Planning Approval Patterns in Dorset

All 57 wards ranked

These are council averages. Your property is specific.

What the data tells us

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

More Dorset planning data