Dover planning approval rate

Dover council approved 93.2% of planning applications and refused 6.8%, based on 6,755 decisions analysed. Ranked 153rd out of 221 councils for strictness.

Last updated: March 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to present

93.2%

overall approval rate

6,755

Decisions analysed

6,294

Approved

461

Refused

Wards covered

Planning in Dover? 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 Dover. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.

Full (2,534 decided)

90.1%

Discharge of Conditions (2,033 decided)

99.6%

Trees (799 decided)

94.5%

Other (643 decided)

89.0%

Listed Building (361 decided)

92.5%

Certificate of Lawfulness (213 decided)

87.3%

Advertisement (88 decided)

93.2%

Prior Approval (84 decided)

66.7%

Approval rate by project type

These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Dover — mined from 6,755 proposal descriptions.

Garage / Parking (1,229 decided)

89.8%

Outbuilding (1,133 decided)

92.7%

Rear Extension (890 decided)

92.8%

New Build (701 decided)

88.6%

Side Extension (526 decided)

93.3%

Change of Use (Residential) (521 decided)

84.5%

Dormer (268 decided)

91.8%

Conservatory (232 decided)

95.7%

Extension (General) (214 decided)

88.8%

Loft Conversion (156 decided)

91.0%

Annex (127 decided)

90.6%

Front Extension (114 decided)

95.6%

Wraparound Extension (69 decided)

94.2%

Basement (63 decided)

96.8%

Flat Conversion (47 decided)

72.3%

HMO (24 decided)

87.5%

Approval rate by ward

Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Dover. Click any ward for detailed statistics.

Little Stour And Ashstone (838 decided)

90.0%

Guston Kingsdown St Margarets-at-Cliffe (738 decided)

93.9%

Sandwich (700 decided)

96.0%

Eastry Rural (597 decided)

91.1%

Aylesham, Eythorne And Shepherdswell (532 decided)

92.7%

North Deal (528 decided)

93.6%

Town And Castle (388 decided)

92.5%

Dover Downs And River (368 decided)

94.6%

Walmer (368 decided)

93.8%

Whitfield (346 decided)

96.2%

Mill Hill (280 decided)

92.9%

Alkham And Capel-le-Ferne (236 decided)

92.4%

Middle Deal (183 decided)

95.6%

St Radigunds (165 decided)

90.9%

AYLESHAM (65 decided)

96.9%

Tower Hamlets (58 decided)

86.2%

Maxton And Elms Vale (56 decided)

91.1%

Buckland (52 decided)

92.3%

ST MARGARETS AT CLIFFE (32 decided)

100.0%

EYTHORNE AND SHEPHERDSWELL (25 decided)

88.0%

Wards in Dover

Little Stour And Ashstone

90.0% approval · 838 decisions

Guston Kingsdown St Margarets-at-Cliffe

93.9% approval · 738 decisions

Sandwich

96.0% approval · 700 decisions

Eastry Rural

91.1% approval · 597 decisions

Aylesham, Eythorne And Shepherdswell

92.7% approval · 532 decisions

North Deal

93.6% approval · 528 decisions

Town And Castle

92.5% approval · 388 decisions

Dover Downs And River

94.6% approval · 368 decisions

Walmer

93.8% approval · 368 decisions

Whitfield

96.2% approval · 346 decisions

Mill Hill

92.9% approval · 280 decisions

Alkham And Capel-le-Ferne

92.4% approval · 236 decisions

Middle Deal

95.6% approval · 183 decisions

St Radigunds

90.9% approval · 165 decisions

AYLESHAM

96.9% approval · 65 decisions

Tower Hamlets

86.2% approval · 58 decisions

Maxton And Elms Vale

91.1% approval · 56 decisions

Buckland

92.3% approval · 52 decisions

ST MARGARETS AT CLIFFE

100.0% approval · 32 decisions

EYTHORNE AND SHEPHERDSWELL

88.0% approval · 25 decisions

Recent comparable decisions

The most recent residential planning decisions in Dover, showing how the council decides real applications.

25/01192

Erection of a single storey rear extension (conservatory demolished) · Aylesham, Eythorne And Shepherdswell · Tue 23 Dec 2025

Approved

25/01222

Erection of a detached garden room · Walmer · Fri 19 Dec 2025

Approved

25/01189

Erection of a single storey front/side extension for ancillary use as an annexe · Sandwich · Fri 19 Dec 2025

Approved

Showing 3 of 200 comparable decisions. See all 200 in the Pro Report →

What gets approved near your property?

In Dover, 1 in 15 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 Dover
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect

Get Dover Pro Report — £79

Less than one set of revised drawings. Based on 6,755 decisions.

Compare with nearby councils

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