Which ward in Exeter has the highest planning approval rate?

Heavitree at 93.8% based on 433 decisions.

Which ward in Exeter has the lowest planning approval rate?

Mincinglake And Whipton at 83.7% based on 202 decisions.

How much do planning approval rates vary across Exeter?

There is a 10.1% gap between Heavitree and Mincinglake And Whipton. Your postcode significantly affects outcomes.

Planning Approval Rates by Ward in Exeter

Planning outcomes in Exeter are highly localised. The gap between the most and least permissive wards is 10.1% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

6,750 real decisions·13 wards·Updated March 2026

90.5% approved overall. But 644 applications refused since 2020. Where you live in Exeter shifts your odds by up to 10.1%. The council average doesn't tell you which side of that gap you're on.

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All 13 wards ranked

#	Ward	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	Heavitree	433	406	27	93.8%
2	Alphington	559	522	37	93.4%
3	Newtown And St Leonards	881	819	62	93.0%
4	St Davids	921	842	79	91.4%
5	Duryard And St James	681	617	64	90.6%
6	Pennsylvania	390	352	38	90.3%
7	Topsham	939	843	96	89.8%
8	Pinhoe	392	348	44	88.8%
9	St Loyes	366	320	46	87.4%
10	Exwick	198	173	25	87.4%
11	Priory	315	275	40	87.3%
12	St Thomas	330	282	48	85.5%
13	Mincinglake And Whipton	202	169	33	83.7%

See how this applies to your postcode →

These are council averages. Your property is specific.

An extension might sail through in Heavitree but face serious resistance in Mincinglake And Whipton.
Check your postcode to see what actually happens near your address.

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What the data tells us

A 10.1% gap separates the best and worst wards. Heavitree approves 93.8% of applications while Mincinglake And Whipton approves just 83.7%. 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

644 planning applications in Exeter have been refused since 2020. Many of those homeowners had already paid for drawings and application fees. A £79 report shows you what gets approved — and what gets refused — near your property.

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More Exeter planning data

Nearby councils ward breakdowns

Methodology: Covers 6,750 planning decisions in Exeter, January 2020 to present. Approval rate = approved / (approved + refused). Pending, withdrawn and invalid excluded. Ward boundaries reflect current electoral divisions. Data from Exeter Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →