Which ward in Highland has the highest planning approval rate?

Wester Ross, Strathpeffer And Lochalsh at 100.0% based on 113 decisions.

Which ward in Highland has the lowest planning approval rate?

Nairn And Cawdor at 88.1% based on 84 decisions.

How much do planning approval rates vary across Highland?

There is a 11.9% 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 11.9% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

2,338 real decisions·21 wards·Updated June 2026

94.8% approved overall. But 121 applications refused since 2020. Where you live in Highland shifts your odds by up to 11.9%. 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	113	113	0	100.0%
2	Culloden And Ardersier	28	28	0	100.0%
3	East Sutherland And Edderton	179	176	3	98.3%
4	Cromarty Firth	210	206	4	98.1%
5	Inverness Millburn	38	37	1	97.4%
6	North, West And Central Sutherland	130	126	4	96.9%
7	Eilean A' Cheò	144	139	5	96.5%
8	Aird And Loch Ness	169	162	7	95.9%
9	Tain And Easter Ross	66	63	3	95.5%
10	Inverness Ness-Side	67	64	3	95.5%
11	Thurso And North West Caithness	43	41	2	95.3%
12	Dingwall And Seaforth	84	80	4	95.2%
13	Wick And East Caithness	56	53	3	94.6%
14	Caol And Mallaig	201	190	11	94.5%
15	Inverness Central	36	34	2	94.4%
16	Badenoch And Strathspey	88	83	5	94.3%
17	Fort William And Ardnamurchan	143	132	11	92.3%
18	Inverness South	87	80	7	92.0%
19	Inverness West	188	169	19	89.9%
20	Black Isle	57	51	6	89.5%
21	Nairn And Cawdor	84	74	10	88.1%

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 11.9% gap separates the best and worst wards. Wester Ross, Strathpeffer And Lochalsh approves 100.0% of applications while Nairn And Cawdor approves just 88.1%. 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

121 planning applications in Highland have been refused since 2020. Many of those homeowners had already paid for drawings and application fees. A free, property-specific report shows you what gets approved — and what gets refused — near your property.

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More Highland planning data

Methodology: Covers 2,338 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 →