Elmbridge Council approves 78.4% of planning applications, based on 73,618 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. Elmbridge sits 10.2 percentage points below the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 2,273 decided applications, Elmbridge Council approved 71.7% of planning applications in 2025. Across 73,618 decisions analysed since January 2020, the overall approval rate in Elmbridge is 78.4%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Elmbridge council planning portal records · Updated August 2026 · Quote freely with attribution
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Not all applications are treated equally. Extension types, listed building consent, and change of use applications each have very different success rates in Elmbridge.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | 40,626 | 9,561 | 50,187 | 80.9% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 5,626 | 1,351 | 6,977 | 80.6% |
| Trees | 4,520 | 1,580 | 6,100 | 74.1% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 2,268 | 1,414 | 3,682 | 61.6% |
| Other | 1,879 | 931 | 2,810 | 66.9% |
| Advertisement | 1,294 | 400 | 1,694 | 76.4% |
| Listed Building | 925 | 109 | 1,034 | 89.5% |
| Prior Approval | 546 | 320 | 866 | 63.0% |
| Change of Use | 5 | 263 | 268 | 1.9% |
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, your free property report is emailed in minutes.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oxshott and Stoke DAbernon | 5,237 | 1,464 | 6,701 | 78.2% |
| Esher | 4,763 | 1,307 | 6,070 | 78.5% |
| Molesey East | 3,610 | 949 | 4,559 | 79.2% |
| Thames Ditton | 3,361 | 953 | 4,314 | 77.9% |
| Claygate | 3,334 | 876 | 4,210 | 79.2% |
| Walton Central | 2,908 | 748 | 3,656 | 79.5% |
| Cobham Downside | 2,579 | 605 | 3,184 | 81.0% |
| St Georges Hill | 2,498 | 642 | 3,140 | 79.6% |
| Long Ditton | 2,379 | 662 | 3,041 | 78.2% |
| Walton South | 2,279 | 583 | 2,862 | 79.6% |
| Hersham South | 2,022 | 473 | 2,495 | 81.0% |
| Weybridge South | 1,597 | 416 | 2,013 | 79.3% |
| Weybridge St Georges Hill | 1,447 | 549 | 1,996 | 72.5% |
| Cobham Fairmile | 1,607 | 385 | 1,992 | 80.7% |
| Cobham and Downside | 1,445 | 506 | 1,951 | 74.1% |
| Walton North | 1,415 | 466 | 1,881 | 75.2% |
| Hinchley Wood and Weston Green | 1,356 | 454 | 1,810 | 74.9% |
| Oatlands Park | 1,379 | 425 | 1,804 | 76.4% |
| Weybridge Riverside | 1,223 | 498 | 1,721 | 71.1% |
| Weston Green | 1,326 | 317 | 1,643 | 80.7% |
| Oatlands and Burwood Park | 1,239 | 399 | 1,638 | 75.6% |
| Hinchley Wood | 1,312 | 296 | 1,608 | 81.6% |
| Hersham Village | 1,044 | 323 | 1,367 | 76.4% |
| Weybridge North | 1,054 | 298 | 1,352 | 78.0% |
| Hersham North | 961 | 267 | 1,228 | 78.3% |
Showing top 25 of 47 wards by volume. Your free property report includes the full ward breakdown.
See full ward breakdown →How Elmbridge’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, down 5.5pp since 2018.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from Elmbridge council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| 2026/1545 Esher | First floor side extension, front porch canopy and side canopy over existing ext | Approved |
| 2026/0580 Esher | Proposed construction of single self-build residential dwelling on land to the r | Refused |
| 2026/1511 Oxshott and Stoke DAbernon | A pair of semi-detached houses with detached garages and associated landscaping | Refused |
| 2026/1427 Hinchley Wood and Weston Green | Retrospective application for a rear dormer window to provide rooms in the roofs | Approved |
| 2026/1319 Weybridge St Georges Hill | Installation of a 2.5m tower extension supporting 6 no. new antennas on a new he | Approved |
| 2026/1009 Oatlands and Burwood Park | Rear dormer roof extension in association with conversion of roofspace into habi | Approved |
| 2026/1650 Molesey West | Construction of a rear dormer window and rooflights to front roof slope. | Approved |
| 2026/1626 Walton Central | Walton Riverside Conservation Area - T1 Beech - Raise over the neighboring garag | Approved |
| 2026/1438 Molesey East | Front and rear rooflights and alterations to fenestration. | Approved |
| 2026/1570 | First floor front/side extension above existing garage including roof extension, | Approved |
Find out what actually gets approved near your address first. Your free property report analyses the 20 nearest decisions to your property, ward-specific refusal patterns, and extension-by-extension approval patterns. Based on Elmbridge's 73,618 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare Elmbridge's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
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Dig deeper into Elmbridge's planning statistics, by ward, extension type, or project category:
Data-driven guides to help you understand planning approval patterns:
Yes. PlanningLens offers a free planning permission check for Elmbridge. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 73,618 real decisions from Elmbridge council. The full property-specific report is also free and emailed within minutes.
Enter your postcode on PlanningLens for a free instant check based on Elmbridge's real planning decisions. The free property report goes further: it analyses the 20 nearest comparable decisions to your property, ward-level refusal patterns, and approval rates by application type. Free and emailed within minutes.
Based on 73,618 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Elmbridge is 78.4%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 73,618 planning decisions from Elmbridge council. 57,689 were approved and 15,929 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in Elmbridge is 78.4%, but outcomes depend heavily on your specific ward, the type of extension or development you are proposing, and local planning policy. Use the free PlanningLens postcode check to get a personalised score.
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