Lewes & Eastbourne Council approves 91.2% of planning applications, based on 2,190 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.3%. Lewes & Eastbourne sits 2.9 percentage points above the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 815 decided applications, Lewes & Eastbourne Council approved 93.0% of planning applications in 2025. Across 2,190 decisions analysed since January 2020, the overall approval rate in Lewes & Eastbourne is 91.2%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.3%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Lewes & Eastbourne council planning portal records · Updated June 2026 · Quote freely with attribution
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Not all applications are treated equally. Extension types, listed building consent, and change of use applications each have very different success rates in Lewes & Eastbourne.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | 603 | 39 | 642 | 93.9% |
| Other | 493 | 89 | 582 | 84.7% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 453 | 8 | 461 | 98.3% |
| Trees | 236 | 25 | 261 | 90.4% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 100 | 23 | 123 | 81.3% |
| Listed Building | 71 | 2 | 73 | 97.3% |
| Prior Approval | 24 | 5 | 29 | 82.8% |
| Advertisement | 18 | 1 | 19 | 94.7% |
A loft conversion in one ward can have a 90% approval rate. In the next ward, 55%. The free check tells you which side you're on, your free property report is emailed in minutes.
Check My PostcodeWard-level data reveals where planning applications are most and least likely to succeed. Officers, local policies, and neighbourhood character all play a role.
| Ward | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chailey, Barcombe & Hamsey | 343 | 29 | 372 | 92.2% |
| Ouse Valley & Ringmer | 289 | 22 | 311 | 92.9% |
| Newick | 166 | 20 | 186 | 89.2% |
| East Saltdean & Telscombe Cliffs | 138 | 19 | 157 | 87.9% |
| Newhaven South | 110 | 14 | 124 | 88.7% |
| Wivelsfield | 107 | 16 | 123 | 87.0% |
| Seaford South | 112 | 5 | 117 | 95.7% |
| Seaford Central | 98 | 5 | 103 | 95.1% |
| Plumpton Streat E.Chiltington St John W | 88 | 9 | 97 | 90.7% |
| Seaford East | 87 | 8 | 95 | 91.6% |
| Peacehaven West | 76 | 6 | 82 | 92.7% |
| Seaford North | 78 | 3 | 81 | 96.3% |
| Peacehaven North | 65 | 10 | 75 | 86.7% |
| Newhaven North | 68 | 6 | 74 | 91.9% |
| Peacehaven East | 57 | 8 | 65 | 87.7% |
| Seaford West | 54 | 3 | 57 | 94.7% |
| Ditchling & Westmeston | 20 | 3 | 23 | 87.0% |
| Kingston | 13 | 1 | 14 | 92.9% |
How Lewes & Eastbourne’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, down 1.9pp since 2023.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from Lewes & Eastbourne council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| LW/26/0163 Chailey, Barcombe & Hamsey | Single storey first floor side extension with addition of first floor terrace | Refused |
| LW/26/0219 Chailey, Barcombe & Hamsey | Replacement of existing standing seam roof with improvements to thermal performa | Approved |
| LW/26/0140 Newick | Erection of 1no. attached dwelling with associated parking provision | Approved |
| LW/26/0137 Newhaven North | Erection of 1no. detached dwelling with associated parking | Approved |
| LW/26/0233 Seaford South | Alterations to first floor side windows | Approved |
| LW/26/0172 Ouse Valley & Ringmer | Erection of single-storey infill extension linking main house with existing gara | Approved |
| LW/26/0173 Ouse Valley & Ringmer | Erection of single-storey infill extension linking main house with existing gara | Approved |
| LW/26/0139 Seaford Central | Roof extension to create second floor living space containing 3no. flats | Approved |
| LW/26/0203 Seaford Central | Installation of internally illuminated double-sided digital panels as part of th | Approved |
| LW/26/0200 Wivelsfield | Single storey detached single garage | Approved |
Find out what actually gets approved near your address first. Your free property report analyses the 20 nearest decisions to your property, ward-specific refusal patterns, and extension-by-extension approval patterns. Based on Lewes & Eastbourne's 2,190 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare Lewes & Eastbourne's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
Dig deeper into Lewes & Eastbourne's planning statistics, by ward, extension type, or project category:
Data-driven guides to help you understand planning approval patterns:
Yes. PlanningLens offers a free planning permission check for Lewes & Eastbourne. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 2,190 real decisions from Lewes & Eastbourne council. The full property-specific report is also free and emailed within minutes.
Enter your postcode on PlanningLens for a free instant check based on Lewes & Eastbourne's real planning decisions. The free property report goes further: it analyses the 20 nearest comparable decisions to your property, ward-level refusal patterns, and approval rates by application type. Free and emailed within minutes.
Based on 2,190 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Lewes & Eastbourne is 91.2%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.3%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 2,190 planning decisions from Lewes & Eastbourne council. 1,998 were approved and 192 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in Lewes & Eastbourne is 91.2%, but outcomes depend heavily on your specific ward, the type of extension or development you are proposing, and local planning policy. Use the free PlanningLens postcode check to get a personalised score.
Writing about planning in Lewes & Eastbourne? These figures are free to republish with attribution. Copy the one-line citation, or paste the stat box into any website, CMS or newsletter, it carries its own styling and links back to this page for verification.