Horsham planning approval rate
Horsham council approved 91.2% of planning applications and refused 8.8%, based on 13,181 decisions analysed. Ranked 148th out of 300 councils for strictness.
Last updated: August 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to August 2026
91.2%
overall approval rate
13,181
Decisions analysed
12,019
Approved
1,162
Refused
22
Wards covered
Planning in Horsham? 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 Horsham. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.
90.2%
96.1%
89.6%
97.0%
97.0%
70.3%
88.7%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Horsham, mined from 13,181 proposal descriptions.
88.5%
95.2%
96.2%
78.9%
91.7%
89.6%
98.3%
90.3%
96.1%
97.0%
94.7%
83.9%
91.5%
97.1%
76.7%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Horsham. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
West Chiltington, Thakeham and Ashington
92.0%
Billingshurst
91.6%
Itchingfield, Slinfold and Warnham
89.4%
Storrington and Washington
88.7%
Colgate and Rusper
89.4%
Denne
93.7%
Cowfold, Shermanbury and West Grinstead
88.3%
Steyning and Ashurst
94.8%
Henfield
89.8%
Nuthurst and Lower Beeding
88.6%
Bramber, Upper Beeding and Woodmancote
90.2%
Southwater South and Shipley
89.1%
Forest
92.5%
Pulborough, Coldwaltham and Amberley
89.5%
Rudgwick
88.9%
Holbrook West
97.6%
Trafalgar
93.6%
Southwater North
91.0%
Roffey South
96.7%
Roffey North
91.9%
Wards in Horsham
West Chiltington, Thakeham and Ashington
92.0% approval · 1,245 decisions
Billingshurst
91.6% approval · 1,011 decisions
Itchingfield, Slinfold and Warnham
89.4% approval · 885 decisions
Storrington and Washington
88.7% approval · 874 decisions
Colgate and Rusper
89.4% approval · 849 decisions
Denne
93.7% approval · 815 decisions
Cowfold, Shermanbury and West Grinstead
88.3% approval · 724 decisions
Steyning and Ashurst
94.8% approval · 634 decisions
Henfield
89.8% approval · 625 decisions
Nuthurst and Lower Beeding
88.6% approval · 599 decisions
Bramber, Upper Beeding and Woodmancote
90.2% approval · 571 decisions
Southwater South and Shipley
89.1% approval · 568 decisions
Forest
92.5% approval · 560 decisions
Pulborough, Coldwaltham and Amberley
89.5% approval · 515 decisions
Rudgwick
88.9% approval · 431 decisions
Holbrook West
97.6% approval · 423 decisions
Trafalgar
93.6% approval · 390 decisions
Southwater North
91.0% approval · 389 decisions
Roffey South
96.7% approval · 307 decisions
Roffey North
91.9% approval · 298 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in Horsham, showing how the council decides real applications.
Demolition of the existing conservatory and erection of a part two storey rear e · Itchingfield, Slinfold and Warnham · Thu 13 Aug 2026
Installation of 2m tower extension taking tower height from 18m to 20m. Removal · Broadbridge Heath · Wed 12 Aug 2026
Prior Approval for the erection of a single-storey rear larger home extension, w · Cowfold, Shermanbury and West Grinstead · Wed 12 Aug 2026
Showing 3 recent comparable decisions. See more in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In Horsham, 1 in 11 applications are refused. Your PlanningLens Full Planning Analysis gives you 17 pages of intelligence specific to your property:
✓ Ward-level approval rates for your exact area
✓ Common refusal reasons in Horsham
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for Horsham →
✓ Common refusal reasons in Horsham
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free. Based on 13,181 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in Horsham
What is the planning approval rate in Horsham?
Based on 13,181 planning decisions analysed since 2020, Horsham approved 91.2% of applications and refused 8.8%. The council is ranked 148th out of 300 UK councils for approval rate.
How many planning applications are refused in Horsham?
Horsham refuses 8.8% of planning applications, roughly 1 in 11. That is lower than the UK average of 11.4%. Out of 13,181 decided applications since 2020, 1,162 were refused. PlanningLens lets you check any postcode to see which applications were refused near a specific property.
Which areas of Horsham have the highest planning approval rates?
The highest approval rates in Horsham are in Holbrook West (97.6%), Holbrook East (97.3%), and Roffey South (96.7%). Approval rates vary significantly by ward, see the full ward breakdown above.
What types of planning application are most common in Horsham?
The most common planning application types in Horsham are: Full (6,083 decisions, 90.2% approved), Discharge of Conditions (2,264, 96.1%), and Other (1,688, 89.6%).
How long does a planning application take in Horsham?
Planning applications in Horsham take an average of 12.2 weeks to reach a decision, measured across 13,123 decisions with a recorded timeline. That is slower than the 8-week statutory target for householder applications (the statutory targets are 8 weeks for householder applications and 13 weeks for major developments). PlanningLens measures the actual time each application takes, not just the target. Horsham decides approximately 2,197 planning applications per year.
How do I check planning applications in Horsham?
You can search planning applications in Horsham directly on the council's official planning portal. PlanningLens also lets you check any postcode against 13,181 historical decisions in Horsham to see what's been approved and refused near a specific property.
How is PlanningLens approval rate data for Horsham calculated?
PlanningLens scrapes Horsham's official planning portal and analyses every published decision since January 2020. The approval rate is calculated as approved decisions divided by total decided applications, excluding withdrawn and pending applications. The full methodology, data sourcing, and Creative Commons BY 4.0 licensing terms are published at planninglens.co.uk/methodology.