King's Lynn & West Norfolk planning approval rate
King's Lynn & West Norfolk council approved 92.1% of planning applications and refused 7.9%, based on 2,618 decisions analysed. Ranked 170th out of 300 councils for strictness.
Last updated: August 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to August 2026
92.1%
overall approval rate
2,618
Decisions analysed
2,410
Approved
208
Refused
34
Wards covered
Planning in King's Lynn & West Norfolk? 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 King's Lynn & West Norfolk. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.
92.7%
97.6%
77.9%
99.2%
95.7%
90.2%
84.6%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in King's Lynn & West Norfolk, mined from 2,618 proposal descriptions.
94.7%
91.4%
96.5%
96.8%
99.1%
90.3%
82.6%
100.0%
100.0%
100.0%
100.0%
95.2%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within King's Lynn & West Norfolk. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
Brancaster
90.5%
Burnham Market And Docking
95.7%
Upwell And Delph
89.6%
St. Margarets With St. Nicholas
95.5%
Gayton And Grimston
89.4%
The Woottons
95.7%
Massingham With Castle Acre
95.7%
Heacham
83.3%
Dersingham
93.0%
Bircham With Rudhams
91.4%
Terrington
92.5%
Airfield
95.7%
Walsoken, West Walton And Walpole
88.8%
West Winch
90.0%
Tilney, Mershe Lande And Wiggenhall
83.5%
Emneth And Outwell
92.1%
Feltwell
85.1%
Hunstanton
95.8%
Downham Old Town
98.4%
Snettisham
95.1%
Wards in King's Lynn & West Norfolk
Brancaster
90.5% approval · 220 decisions
Burnham Market And Docking
95.7% approval · 188 decisions
Upwell And Delph
89.6% approval · 163 decisions
St. Margarets With St. Nicholas
95.5% approval · 133 decisions
Gayton And Grimston
89.4% approval · 123 decisions
The Woottons
95.7% approval · 116 decisions
Massingham With Castle Acre
95.7% approval · 116 decisions
Heacham
83.3% approval · 108 decisions
Dersingham
93.0% approval · 100 decisions
Bircham With Rudhams
91.4% approval · 93 decisions
Terrington
92.5% approval · 93 decisions
Airfield
95.7% approval · 92 decisions
Walsoken, West Walton And Walpole
88.8% approval · 89 decisions
West Winch
90.0% approval · 80 decisions
Tilney, Mershe Lande And Wiggenhall
83.5% approval · 79 decisions
Emneth And Outwell
92.1% approval · 76 decisions
Feltwell
85.1% approval · 74 decisions
Hunstanton
95.8% approval · 71 decisions
Downham Old Town
98.4% approval · 61 decisions
Snettisham
95.1% approval · 61 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in King's Lynn & West Norfolk, showing how the council decides real applications.
HOUSEHOLDER: Conservatory added to the Southwest corner of existing dwelling to · Burnham Market And Docking · Wed 05 Aug 2026
HOUSEHOLDER: Detached Car Port (revised design) · The Woottons · Wed 05 Aug 2026
HOUSEHOLDER: Single Storey Extension to existing Dwelling house and Detached Gar · Massingham With Castle Acre · Wed 05 Aug 2026
Showing 3 recent comparable decisions. See more in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In King's Lynn & West Norfolk, 1 in 13 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 King's Lynn & West Norfolk
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for King's Lynn & West Norfolk →
✓ Common refusal reasons in King's Lynn & West Norfolk
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free. Based on 2,618 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in King's Lynn & West Norfolk
What is the planning approval rate in King's Lynn & West Norfolk?
Based on 2,618 planning decisions analysed since 2020, King's Lynn & West Norfolk approved 92.1% of applications and refused 7.9%. The council is ranked 170th out of 300 UK councils for approval rate.
How many planning applications are refused in King's Lynn & West Norfolk?
King's Lynn & West Norfolk refuses 7.9% of planning applications, roughly 1 in 13. That is lower than the UK average of 11.4%. Out of 2,618 decided applications since 2020, 208 were refused. PlanningLens lets you check any postcode to see which applications were refused near a specific property.
Which areas of King's Lynn & West Norfolk have the highest planning approval rates?
The highest approval rates in King's Lynn & West Norfolk are in Downham Old Town (98.4%), Wissey (96.5%), and Hunstanton (95.8%). Approval rates vary significantly by ward, see the full ward breakdown above.
What types of planning application are most common in King's Lynn & West Norfolk?
The most common planning application types in King's Lynn & West Norfolk are: Full (1,620 decisions, 92.7% approved), Trees (468, 97.6%), and Other (307, 77.9%).
How long does a planning application take in King's Lynn & West Norfolk?
Planning applications in King's Lynn & West Norfolk take an average of 9.8 weeks to reach a decision, measured across 2,615 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. King's Lynn & West Norfolk decides approximately 436 planning applications per year.
How do I check planning applications in King's Lynn & West Norfolk?
You can search planning applications in King's Lynn & West Norfolk directly on the council's official planning portal. PlanningLens also lets you check any postcode against 2,618 historical decisions in King's Lynn & West Norfolk to see what's been approved and refused near a specific property.
How is PlanningLens approval rate data for King's Lynn & West Norfolk calculated?
PlanningLens scrapes King's Lynn & West Norfolk'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.