Forest of Dean Council approves 90.8% of planning applications, based on 6,413 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. Forest of Dean sits 2.2 percentage points above the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 889 decided applications, Forest of Dean Council approved 92.9% of planning applications in 2025. Across 6,413 decisions analysed since January 2020, the overall approval rate in Forest of Dean is 90.8%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Forest of Dean 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 Forest of Dean.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | 3,444 | 366 | 3,810 | 90.4% |
| Trees | 799 | 14 | 813 | 98.3% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 713 | 17 | 730 | 97.7% |
| Other | 303 | 90 | 393 | 77.1% |
| Listed Building | 286 | 19 | 305 | 93.8% |
| Change of Use | 168 | 3 | 171 | 98.2% |
| Prior Approval | 51 | 33 | 84 | 60.7% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 24 | 42 | 66 | 36.4% |
| Advertisement | 38 | 3 | 41 | 92.7% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hartpury & Redmarley | 679 | 94 | 773 | 87.8% |
| Newnham | 541 | 39 | 580 | 93.3% |
| Newent & Taynton | 450 | 45 | 495 | 90.9% |
| Longhope & Huntley | 421 | 43 | 464 | 90.7% |
| Tidenham | 376 | 41 | 417 | 90.2% |
| Mitcheldean, Ruardean & Drybrook | 350 | 47 | 397 | 88.2% |
| St Briavels | 330 | 26 | 356 | 92.7% |
| Coleford | 327 | 25 | 352 | 92.9% |
| Westbury-on-Severn | 260 | 35 | 295 | 88.1% |
| Dymock | 252 | 40 | 292 | 86.3% |
| Newland & Sling | 260 | 18 | 278 | 93.5% |
| Lydney East | 259 | 15 | 274 | 94.5% |
| Bream | 227 | 28 | 255 | 89.0% |
| Berry Hill | 223 | 14 | 237 | 94.1% |
| Pillowell | 169 | 15 | 184 | 91.8% |
| Cinderford West | 155 | 8 | 163 | 95.1% |
| Lydney West & Aylburton | 149 | 8 | 157 | 94.9% |
| Cinderford East | 144 | 13 | 157 | 91.7% |
| Lydbrook | 115 | 14 | 129 | 89.1% |
| Ruspidge | 70 | 11 | 81 | 86.4% |
| Lydney North | 60 | 7 | 67 | 89.6% |
How Forest of Dean’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, up 4.1pp since 2020.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from Forest of Dean council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| P0593/26/FUL Hartpury & Redmarley | Replacement of conservatory roof and associated works (Retrospective) | Approved |
| P0765/26/FUL Hartpury & Redmarley | Change of use of annex to create holiday let. | Approved |
| P0706/26/FUL Cinderford West | Erection of a two storey side extension and a single storey porch extension. Dem | Approved |
| P0381/26/FUL Newnham | Conversion of a barn to a single self-build dwellinghouse, alterations to the ac | Approved |
| P0376/26/FUL Hartpury & Redmarley | Erection of a single storey rear extension, porch extension and first floor balc | Approved |
| P0807/26/TCA Hartpury & Redmarley | Remove four dead conifers and one dead Silver Birch from garden of property. | Approved |
| P0720/26/FUL Mitcheldean, Ruardean & Drybrook | Removal of side porch. Erection of single-storey side and rear extensions. | Approved |
| P0696/26/FUL Newland & Sling | Replacement of existing white uPVC and aluminium-framed windows and doors with d | Approved |
| P0410/26/COU Newnham | Change of use from private dwelling to Holiday Let (retrospective) | Approved |
| P0761/26/FUL Ruspidge | Erection of a single storey side extension with terrace on top with associated w | 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 Forest of Dean's 6,413 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare Forest of Dean's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
Dig deeper into Forest of Dean'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 Forest of Dean. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 6,413 real decisions from Forest of Dean 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 Forest of Dean'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 6,413 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Forest of Dean 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 6,413 planning decisions from Forest of Dean council. 5,826 were approved and 587 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in Forest of Dean 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.
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