Which ward in Dorset has the highest planning approval rate?

Chalk Valleys at 98.1% based on 672 decisions.

Which ward in Dorset has the lowest planning approval rate?

Stour and Allen Vale at 80.7% based on 554 decisions.

How much do planning approval rates vary across Dorset?

There is a 17.4% 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	672	659	13	98.1%
2	Dorchester Poundbury	37	36	1	97.3%
3	Ward members	999	970	29	97.1%
4	Dorchester East	353	342	11	96.9%
5	Hill Forts and Upper Tarrants	479	464	15	96.9%
6	Dorchester West	437	423	14	96.8%
7	Sherborne East	306	295	11	96.4%
8	Shaftesbury Town	486	467	19	96.1%
9	Charminster St. Mary's	409	393	16	96.1%
10	Puddletown and Lower Winterborne	452	434	18	96.0%
11	Winterborne and Broadmayne	343	329	14	95.9%
12	Beaminster	301	288	13	95.7%
13	Littlemoor and Preston	346	331	15	95.7%
14	Stalbridge and Marnhull	408	389	19	95.3%
15	Blandford	469	447	22	95.3%
16	West Purbeck	777	740	37	95.2%
17	Beacon	843	801	42	95.0%
18	Sherborne West	234	222	12	94.9%
19	Sherborne Rural	444	419	25	94.4%
20	Chesil Bank	328	309	19	94.2%
21	Chesil Bank Ward (old number)	319	300	19	94.0%
22	Sturminster Newton	264	248	16	93.9%
23	South East Purbeck	784	735	49	93.8%
24	Wimborne Minster	410	384	26	93.7%
25	Colehill and Wimborne Minster East	602	563	39	93.5%
26	Gillingham	854	798	56	93.4%
27	Yetminster	502	469	33	93.4%
28	Lyme and Charmouth	530	495	35	93.4%
29	Cranborne Chase	349	326	23	93.4%
30	Ferndown South	490	456	34	93.1%
31	Bridport	415	385	30	92.8%
32	Eggardon	245	227	18	92.7%
33	Ferndown North	555	514	41	92.6%
34	Swanage	482	445	37	92.3%
35	Crossways	316	291	25	92.1%
36	Radipole	292	269	23	92.1%
37	Eggardon Ward (old number)	290	267	23	92.1%
38	Bridport Ward (old number)	429	395	34	92.1%
39	Rodwell and Wyke	506	465	41	91.9%
40	Marshwood Vale Ward (old number)	281	258	23	91.8%
41	Blackmore Vale	409	374	35	91.4%
42	Cranborne and Alderholt	302	276	26	91.4%
43	St. Leonards and St. Ives	901	819	82	90.9%
44	Wareham	659	597	62	90.6%
45	Westham	88	79	9	89.8%
46	West Parley	343	308	35	89.8%
47	West Moors and Three Legged Cross	348	311	37	89.4%
48	Marshwood Vale	273	243	30	89.0%
49	Upwey and Broadwey	314	279	35	88.9%
50	Portland	378	336	42	88.9%
51	Chickerell	224	199	25	88.8%
52	Corfe Mullen	483	428	55	88.6%
53	Lytchett Matravers and Upton	634	555	79	87.5%
54	Winterborne North	240	210	30	87.5%
55	Verwood	526	457	69	86.9%
56	Melcombe Regis	331	285	46	86.1%
57	Stour and Allen Vale	554	447	107	80.7%

See how this applies to your postcode →

What the data tells us

A 17.4% gap separates the best and worst wards. Chalk Valleys approves 98.1% of applications while Stour and Allen Vale approves just 80.7%. 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

1,794 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