Which ward in Highland has the highest planning approval rate?

Wester Ross, Strathpeffer And Lochalsh at 100.0% based on 82 decisions.

Which ward in Highland has the lowest planning approval rate?

Nairn And Cawdor at 87.0% based on 69 decisions.

How much do planning approval rates vary across Highland?

There is a 13.0% gap between Wester Ross, Strathpeffer And Lochalsh and Nairn And Cawdor. Your postcode significantly affects outcomes.

Planning Approval Rates by Ward in Highland

Planning outcomes in Highland are highly localised. The gap between the most and least permissive wards is 13.0% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

1,987 real decisions·21 wards·Updated March 2026

94.4% approved overall. But 111 applications refused since 2020. Where you live in Highland shifts your odds by up to 13.0%. The council average doesn't tell you which side of that gap you're on.

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All 21 wards ranked

#	Ward	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	Wester Ross, Strathpeffer And Lochalsh	82	82	0	100.0%
2	Culloden And Ardersier	24	24	0	100.0%
3	East Sutherland And Edderton	167	165	2	98.8%
4	Cromarty Firth	201	197	4	98.0%
5	North, West And Central Sutherland	111	108	3	97.3%
6	Wick And East Caithness	33	32	1	97.0%
7	Thurso And North West Caithness	30	29	1	96.7%
8	Inverness Millburn	29	28	1	96.6%
9	Dingwall And Seaforth	76	73	3	96.1%
10	Tain And Easter Ross	50	48	2	96.0%
11	Inverness Central	24	23	1	95.8%
12	Eilean A' Cheò	113	108	5	95.6%
13	Inverness Ness-Side	60	57	3	95.0%
14	Aird And Loch Ness	135	128	7	94.8%
15	Caol And Mallaig	181	170	11	93.9%
16	Badenoch And Strathspey	59	55	4	93.2%
17	Fort William And Ardnamurchan	114	103	11	90.4%
18	Inverness South	72	65	7	90.3%
19	Inverness West	181	162	19	89.5%
20	Black Isle	51	45	6	88.2%
21	Nairn And Cawdor	69	60	9	87.0%

See how this applies to your postcode →

These are council averages. Your property is specific.

An extension might sail through in Wester Ross, Strathpeffer And Lochalsh but face serious resistance in Nairn And Cawdor.
Check your postcode to see what actually happens near your address.

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What the data tells us

A 13.0% gap separates the best and worst wards. Wester Ross, Strathpeffer And Lochalsh approves 100.0% of applications while Nairn And Cawdor approves just 87.0%. 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

111 planning applications in Highland 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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Free instant check · Pro Report £79 · Based on 2,500,000+ real decisions

More Highland planning data

Methodology: Covers 1,987 planning decisions in Highland, January 2020 to present. Approval rate = approved / (approved + refused). Pending, withdrawn and invalid excluded. Ward boundaries reflect current electoral divisions. Data from Highland Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →