Exeter Council approves 90.8% of planning applications, based on 7,225 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. 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 7,225 decisions analysed since January 2020, the overall approval rate in Exeter is 90.8%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Exeter council planning portal records · Updated August 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 | 2,912 | 371 | 3,283 | 88.7% |
| Trees | 1,355 | 74 | 1,429 | 94.8% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 646 | 58 | 704 | 91.8% |
| Listed Building | 610 | 40 | 650 | 93.8% |
| Other | 446 | 47 | 493 | 90.5% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 265 | 33 | 298 | 88.9% |
| Advertisement | 256 | 19 | 275 | 93.1% |
| Prior Approval | 72 | 21 | 93 | 77.4% |
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, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Topsham | 919 | 96 | 1,015 | 90.5% |
| St Davids | 923 | 79 | 1,002 | 92.1% |
| Newtown And St Leonards | 879 | 64 | 943 | 93.2% |
| Duryard And St James | 668 | 72 | 740 | 90.3% |
| Alphington | 556 | 38 | 594 | 93.6% |
| Heavitree | 432 | 29 | 461 | 93.7% |
| Pinhoe | 371 | 46 | 417 | 89.0% |
| Pennsylvania | 375 | 40 | 415 | 90.4% |
| St Loyes | 336 | 47 | 383 | 87.7% |
| St Thomas | 300 | 48 | 348 | 86.2% |
| Priory | 296 | 40 | 336 | 88.1% |
| Mincinglake And Whipton | 178 | 33 | 211 | 84.4% |
| Exwick | 178 | 25 | 203 | 87.7% |
How Exeter’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, up 0.1pp 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 26/0890/LPD Pinhoe | Single storey side extension | Approved |
| 26/0847/FUL Alphington | Single storey rear extension | Approved |
| 26/0832/FUL Priory | Single storey rear / side extension; single storey front porch. | Approved |
| 26/0823/LBC Topsham | Internal reconfigurations at ground, first and second floors, side infill extens | Approved |
| 26/0600/LBC | Works to timber sash windows, the roof and ceilings; formation of a new opening | Approved |
| 26/0542/LED Pennsylvania | House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) for 6 people (C4 Use). | Approved |
| 26/0902/FUL St Davids | Replacement uPVC/composite fascias and panelling, and replacement uPVC windows | Approved |
| 26/0710/FUL Alphington | Proposed single storey side extension to replace existing conservatory | Approved |
| 26/0853/FUL Pennsylvania | Change of use of dwelling (C3 use) to a 4 bedroom house in multiple occupation ( | Approved |
| 26/0822/LED Pinhoe | Construction of a flat roof rear dormer | 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 7,225 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 7,225 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 7,225 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Exeter is 90.8%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 7,225 planning decisions from Exeter council. 6,562 were approved and 663 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in Exeter is 90.8%, 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.