Forest of Dean planning approval rate

Forest of Dean council approved 90.6% of planning applications and refused 9.4%, based on 6,046 decisions analysed. Ranked 114th out of 221 councils for strictness.

Last updated: March 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to present

90.6%

overall approval rate

6,046

Decisions analysed

5,479

Approved

567

Refused

Wards covered

Planning in Forest of Dean? Check your postcode to see approval rates specific to your ward and street.

Approval rate by application type

Different application types have different approval rates in Forest of Dean. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.

Full (3,629 decided)

90.2%

Trees (759 decided)

98.2%

Discharge of Conditions (666 decided)

97.7%

Other (372 decided)

75.8%

Listed Building (287 decided)

93.4%

Change of Use (149 decided)

98.7%

Prior Approval (83 decided)

60.2%

Certificate of Lawfulness (61 decided)

39.3%

Advertisement (40 decided)

92.5%

Approval rate by project type

These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Forest of Dean — mined from 6,046 proposal descriptions.

Garage / Parking (1,108 decided)

89.0%

Extension (General) (632 decided)

93.4%

Rear Extension (544 decided)

95.8%

New Build (503 decided)

82.9%

Change of Use (Residential) (458 decided)

80.1%

Side Extension (415 decided)

97.3%

Outbuilding (374 decided)

92.2%

Annex (238 decided)

89.5%

Conservatory (178 decided)

96.1%

Dormer (94 decided)

93.6%

Front Extension (71 decided)

98.6%

Loft Conversion (51 decided)

98.0%

Wraparound Extension (40 decided)

100.0%

Flat Conversion (12 decided)

83.3%

Basement (10 decided)

90.0%

Approval rate by ward

Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Forest of Dean. Click any ward for detailed statistics.

Hartpury & Redmarley (726 decided)

87.6%

Newnham (549 decided)

93.3%

Newent & Taynton (466 decided)

90.6%

Longhope & Huntley (432 decided)

91.0%

Tidenham (391 decided)

89.5%

Mitcheldean, Ruardean & Drybrook (382 decided)

88.0%

St Briavels (343 decided)

92.4%

Coleford (324 decided)

92.6%

Dymock (279 decided)

86.0%

Westbury-on-Severn (269 decided)

88.1%

Lydney East (267 decided)

94.4%

Newland & Sling (262 decided)

93.1%

Bream (242 decided)

88.4%

Berry Hill (220 decided)

93.6%

Pillowell (174 decided)

92.0%

Cinderford West (158 decided)

94.9%

Lydney West & Aylburton (148 decided)

94.6%

Cinderford East (142 decided)

91.5%

Lydbrook (122 decided)

89.3%

Ruspidge (75 decided)

85.3%

Wards in Forest of Dean

Hartpury & Redmarley

87.6% approval · 726 decisions

Newnham

93.3% approval · 549 decisions

Newent & Taynton

90.6% approval · 466 decisions

Longhope & Huntley

91.0% approval · 432 decisions

Tidenham

89.5% approval · 391 decisions

Mitcheldean, Ruardean & Drybrook

88.0% approval · 382 decisions

St Briavels

92.4% approval · 343 decisions

Coleford

92.6% approval · 324 decisions

Dymock

86.0% approval · 279 decisions

Westbury-on-Severn

88.1% approval · 269 decisions

Lydney East

94.4% approval · 267 decisions

Newland & Sling

93.1% approval · 262 decisions

Bream

88.4% approval · 242 decisions

Berry Hill

93.6% approval · 220 decisions

Pillowell

92.0% approval · 174 decisions

Cinderford West

94.9% approval · 158 decisions

Lydney West & Aylburton

94.6% approval · 148 decisions

Cinderford East

91.5% approval · 142 decisions

Lydbrook

89.3% approval · 122 decisions

Ruspidge

85.3% approval · 75 decisions

Recent comparable decisions

The most recent residential planning decisions in Forest of Dean, showing how the council decides real applications.

P1323/25/FUL

Erection of a new, single-storey residential building containing four self-conta · Longhope & Huntley · Tue 03 Mar 2026

Approved

P1480/25/FUL

Erection of a rear conservatory extension. · Lydney North · Mon 02 Mar 2026

Approved

P1151/25/FUL

Erection of a single storey rear extension, detached home office / guest bedroom · Hartpury & Redmarley · Mon 02 Mar 2026

Approved

Showing 3 of 200 comparable decisions. See all 200 in the Pro Report →

What gets approved near your property?

In Forest of Dean, 1 in 11 applications are refused. Your PlanningLens Pro Report gives you 17 pages of intelligence specific to your property:

✓ Ward-level approval rates for your exact area
✓ Common refusal reasons in Forest of Dean
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect

Get Forest of Dean Pro Report — £79

Less than one set of revised drawings. Based on 6,046 decisions.

Compare with nearby councils

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