Which ward in Horsham has the highest planning approval rate?

Holbrook West at 97.6% based on 423 decisions.

Which ward in Horsham has the lowest planning approval rate?

Cowfold, Shermanbury and West Grinstead at 88.3% based on 724 decisions.

How much do planning approval rates vary across Horsham?

There is a 9.3% gap between Holbrook West and Cowfold, Shermanbury and West Grinstead. Your postcode significantly affects outcomes.

Planning Approval Rates by Ward in Horsham

Planning outcomes in Horsham are highly localised. The gap between the most and least permissive wards is 9.3% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

13,181 real decisions·22 wards·Updated August 2026

All 22 wards ranked

#	Ward	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	Holbrook West	423	413	10	97.6%
2	Holbrook East	222	216	6	97.3%
3	Roffey South	307	297	10	96.7%
4	Steyning and Ashurst	634	601	33	94.8%
5	Denne	815	764	51	93.7%
6	Trafalgar	390	365	25	93.6%
7	Forest	560	518	42	92.5%
8	West Chiltington, Thakeham and Ashington	1,245	1,145	100	92.0%
9	Roffey North	298	274	24	91.9%
10	Billingshurst	1,011	926	85	91.6%
11	Broadbridge Heath	226	207	19	91.6%
12	Southwater North	389	354	35	91.0%
13	Bramber, Upper Beeding and Woodmancote	571	515	56	90.2%
14	Henfield	625	561	64	89.8%
15	Pulborough, Coldwaltham and Amberley	515	461	54	89.5%
16	Colgate and Rusper	849	759	90	89.4%
17	Itchingfield, Slinfold and Warnham	885	791	94	89.4%
18	Southwater South and Shipley	568	506	62	89.1%
19	Rudgwick	431	383	48	88.9%
20	Storrington and Washington	874	775	99	88.7%
21	Nuthurst and Lower Beeding	599	531	68	88.6%
22	Cowfold, Shermanbury and West Grinstead	724	639	85	88.3%

See how this applies to your postcode →

These are council averages. Your property is specific.

An extension might sail through in Holbrook West but face serious resistance in Cowfold, Shermanbury and West Grinstead.
Check your postcode to see what actually happens near your address.

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What the data tells us

A 9.3% gap separates the best and worst wards. Holbrook West approves 97.6% of applications while Cowfold, Shermanbury and West Grinstead approves just 88.3%. 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

1,162 planning applications in Horsham 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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Free · Property report emailed in minutes · Based on 3,780,000+ real decisions

More Horsham planning data

Nearby councils ward breakdowns

Methodology: Covers 13,181 planning decisions in Horsham, January 2020 to August 2026. Approval rate = approved / (approved + refused). Pending, withdrawn and invalid excluded. Ward boundaries reflect current electoral divisions. Data from Horsham Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →