Exeter Council approves 87.2% of planning applications, based on 3,722 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. Exeter sits 2.2 percentage points above the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 1,105 decided applications, Exeter Council approved 87.4% of planning applications in 2025. Across 3,722 decisions on record (January 2020 to September 2026), the overall approval rate in Exeter is 87.2%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Exeter council planning portal records · Data to 29 September 2026 · Quote freely with attribution
Enter your postcode for a free, personalised approval pattern report, 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 Exeter.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | 2,980 | 371 | 3,351 | 88.9% |
| Trees | 1,399 | 74 | 1,473 | 95.0% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 669 | 62 | 731 | 91.5% |
| Listed Building | 631 | 40 | 671 | 94.0% |
| Other | 455 | 49 | 504 | 90.3% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 275 | 34 | 309 | 89.0% |
| Advertisement | 261 | 19 | 280 | 93.2% |
| Prior Approval | 77 | 21 | 98 | 78.6% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Davids | 962 | 80 | 1,042 | 92.3% |
| Topsham | 943 | 97 | 1,040 | 90.7% |
| Newtown And St Leonards | 908 | 65 | 973 | 93.3% |
| Duryard And St James | 687 | 73 | 760 | 90.4% |
| Alphington | 564 | 38 | 602 | 93.7% |
| Heavitree | 448 | 30 | 478 | 93.7% |
| Pinhoe | 382 | 46 | 428 | 89.3% |
| Pennsylvania | 383 | 40 | 423 | 90.5% |
| St Loyes | 339 | 48 | 387 | 87.6% |
| St Thomas | 308 | 49 | 357 | 86.3% |
| Priory | 302 | 40 | 342 | 88.3% |
| Mincinglake And Whipton | 180 | 33 | 213 | 84.5% |
| Exwick | 183 | 25 | 208 | 88.0% |
How Exeter’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, up 0.8pp since 2020.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from Exeter council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| 26/1222/LPD Duryard And St James | Proposed roof conversion and replacement of upper part (superstructure) of an ex | Approved |
| 26/1223/FUL Duryard And St James | Provision of detached garage | Approved |
| 26/1207/FUL Alphington | Two first floor extensions on the front elevation | Approved |
| 26/1217/FUL Topsham | Proposed replacement windows | Approved |
| 26/1032/PDPV Pinhoe | Installation of roof mounted 104.88kW solar PV system comprising of 228 x Canadi | Approved |
| 26/0955/FUL St Davids | Change of use on first floor from House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) for 7 perso | Approved |
| 26/1248/FUL Topsham | The creation of a detached annexe | Approved |
| 26/1115/FUL Pinhoe | Construction of garden office/store | Approved |
| 26/1082/LBC Topsham | Internal alterations to convert garage to habitable accommodation on ground floo | Approved |
| 26/0469/FUL Priory | single story, rear 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 Exeter's 3,722 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare Exeter's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
Dig deeper into Exeter'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 Exeter. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 3,722 real decisions from Exeter 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 Exeter'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 3,722 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Exeter is 87.2%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 3,722 planning decisions from Exeter council. 3,244 were approved and 478 were refused. These figures cover every decision on record for the council, January 2020 to September 2026.
The average approval rate in Exeter is 87.2%, 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.
Writing about planning in Exeter? These figures are free to republish with attribution. Copy the one-line citation, or paste the stat box into any website, CMS or newsletter, it carries its own styling and links back to this page for verification.