Dorset Council approves 92.4% of planning applications, based on 8,267 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 87.9%. Dorset sits 4.5 percentage points above the national average.
Enter your postcode for a personalised approval likelihood score — based on your ward and application type.
Not all applications are treated equally. Extension types, listed building consent, and change of use applications each have very different success rates in Dorset.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 7,635 | 632 | 8,267 | 92.4% |
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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beacon | 297 | 14 | 311 | 95.5% |
| Gillingham | 290 | 20 | 310 | 93.5% |
| St. Leonards and St. Ives | 270 | 22 | 292 | 92.5% |
| Bridport | 267 | 15 | 282 | 94.7% |
| West Purbeck | 230 | 9 | 239 | 96.2% |
| South East Purbeck | 220 | 18 | 238 | 92.4% |
| Chesil Bank | 220 | 13 | 233 | 94.4% |
| Chalk Valleys | 225 | 6 | 231 | 97.4% |
| Lytchett Matravers and Upton | 190 | 33 | 223 | 85.2% |
| Wareham | 186 | 20 | 206 | 90.3% |
| Ferndown North | 179 | 17 | 196 | 91.3% |
| Colehill and Wimborne Minster East | 177 | 15 | 192 | 92.2% |
| Stour and Allen Vale | 151 | 39 | 190 | 79.5% |
| Marshwood Vale | 174 | 16 | 190 | 91.6% |
| Rodwell and Wyke | 166 | 20 | 186 | 89.2% |
| Verwood | 149 | 34 | 183 | 81.4% |
| Lyme and Charmouth | 170 | 12 | 182 | 93.4% |
| Eggardon | 160 | 16 | 176 | 90.9% |
| Yetminster | 163 | 11 | 174 | 93.7% |
| Ferndown South | 156 | 15 | 171 | 91.2% |
| Shaftesbury Town | 158 | 10 | 168 | 94.0% |
| Blandford | 153 | 13 | 166 | 92.2% |
| Stalbridge and Marnhull | 154 | 11 | 165 | 93.3% |
| Corfe Mullen | 147 | 16 | 163 | 90.2% |
| Dorchester West | 152 | 4 | 156 | 97.4% |
Showing top 25 of 53 wards by volume. Your Pro Report includes the full ward breakdown.
See full ward breakdown →Real residential planning decisions from Dorset council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| P/HOU/2026/00189 Littlemoor and Preston | Raise roof to existing porch & garage with alterations | Approved |
| P/HOU/2026/00121 Corfe Mullen | Erect single storey extension to front elevation to enlarge garage and single st | Approved |
| P/LBC/2025/07273 Sherborne Rural | Internal and external alterations to The Old Rectory including demolition of gar | Approved |
| P/HOU/2025/07272 Sherborne Rural | Demolish garden room and erect extension, reinstate verandah to The Old Rectory. | Approved |
| P/FUL/2025/07161 Corfe Mullen | Erection of an outbuilding (for the applicants' own personal use) and retrospect | Approved |
| P/FUL/2025/06639 Ferndown North | Change of use for upper floor from staff accommodation to a House In Multiple Oc | Approved |
| P/FUL/2025/06108 Littlemoor and Preston | Erect two single storey side extensions to increase lounge area and two addition | Approved |
| P/LBC/2025/02332 Lyme and Charmouth | Replacement of roof terrace awning with lightweight timber roof finished in lead | Approved |
| P/FUL/2025/02326 Lyme and Charmouth | Replacement of roof terrace awning with lightweight timber roof finished in lead | Approved |
| P/FUL/2025/00627 Ferndown South | Change of use, extension and conversion of outbuilding to form new dwelling and | Approved |
Find out what actually gets approved near your address first. Your Pro Report analyses the 20 nearest decisions to your property, ward-specific refusal patterns, and extension-by-extension approval patterns. Based on Dorset's 8,267 real decisions. Delivered by email in minutes.
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Dig deeper into Dorset's planning statistics — by ward, extension type, or project category:
Data-driven guides to help you understand planning approval patterns:
Based on 8,267 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Dorset is 92.4%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 87.9%. However, rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 8,267 planning decisions from Dorset council. 7,635 were approved and 632 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in Dorset is 92.4%, but outcomes depend heavily on your specific ward, the type of extension or development you are proposing, and local planning policy. Use the PlanningLens free postcode check to get a personalised score.