Lewes & Eastbourne planning approval rate
Lewes & Eastbourne council approved 91.2% of planning applications and refused 8.8%, based on 2,190 decisions analysed. Ranked 145th out of 284 councils for strictness.
Last updated: June 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to present
91.2%
overall approval rate
2,190
Decisions analysed
1,998
Approved
192
Refused
18
Wards covered
Planning in Lewes & Eastbourne? 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 Lewes & Eastbourne. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.
93.9%
84.7%
98.3%
90.4%
97.3%
82.8%
94.7%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Lewes & Eastbourne, mined from 2,190 proposal descriptions.
89.6%
95.3%
92.7%
95.6%
87.5%
79.0%
95.8%
95.3%
97.5%
91.4%
81.0%
97.4%
90.9%
69.2%
91.7%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Lewes & Eastbourne. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
Chailey, Barcombe & Hamsey
92.2%
Ouse Valley & Ringmer
92.9%
Newick
89.2%
East Saltdean & Telscombe Cliffs
87.9%
Newhaven South
88.7%
Wivelsfield
87.0%
Seaford South
95.7%
Seaford Central
95.1%
Plumpton Streat E.Chiltington St John W
90.7%
Seaford East
91.6%
Peacehaven West
92.7%
Seaford North
96.3%
Peacehaven North
86.7%
Newhaven North
91.9%
Peacehaven East
87.7%
Seaford West
94.7%
Ditchling & Westmeston
87.0%
Wards in Lewes & Eastbourne
Chailey, Barcombe & Hamsey
92.2% approval · 372 decisions
Ouse Valley & Ringmer
92.9% approval · 311 decisions
Newick
89.2% approval · 186 decisions
East Saltdean & Telscombe Cliffs
87.9% approval · 157 decisions
Newhaven South
88.7% approval · 124 decisions
Wivelsfield
87.0% approval · 123 decisions
Seaford South
95.7% approval · 117 decisions
Seaford Central
95.1% approval · 103 decisions
Plumpton Streat E.Chiltington St John W
90.7% approval · 97 decisions
Seaford East
91.6% approval · 95 decisions
Peacehaven West
92.7% approval · 82 decisions
Seaford North
96.3% approval · 81 decisions
Peacehaven North
86.7% approval · 75 decisions
Newhaven North
91.9% approval · 74 decisions
Peacehaven East
87.7% approval · 65 decisions
Seaford West
94.7% approval · 57 decisions
Ditchling & Westmeston
87.0% approval · 23 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in Lewes & Eastbourne, showing how the council decides real applications.
Single storey first floor side extension with addition of first floor terrace · Chailey, Barcombe & Hamsey · Mon 22 Jun 2026
Replacement of existing standing seam roof with improvements to thermal performa · Chailey, Barcombe & Hamsey · Thu 18 Jun 2026
Erection of 1no. attached dwelling with associated parking provision · Newick · Thu 18 Jun 2026
Showing 3 of 200 comparable decisions. See all 200 in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In Lewes & Eastbourne, 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 Lewes & Eastbourne
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for Lewes & Eastbourne →
✓ Common refusal reasons in Lewes & Eastbourne
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free. Based on 2,190 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in Lewes & Eastbourne
What is the planning approval rate in Lewes & Eastbourne?
Based on 2,190 planning decisions analysed since 2020, Lewes & Eastbourne approved 91.2% of applications and refused 8.8%. The council is ranked 145th out of 284 UK councils for approval rate.
How many planning applications are refused in Lewes & Eastbourne?
Lewes & Eastbourne refuses 8.8% of planning applications, roughly 1 in 11. That is lower than the UK average of 11.7%. Out of 2,190 decided applications since 2020, 192 were refused. PlanningLens lets you check any postcode to see which applications were refused near a specific property.
Which areas of Lewes & Eastbourne have the highest planning approval rates?
The highest approval rates in Lewes & Eastbourne are in Seaford North (96.3%), Seaford South (95.7%), and Seaford Central (95.1%). Approval rates vary significantly by ward, see the full ward breakdown above.
What types of planning application are most common in Lewes & Eastbourne?
The most common planning application types in Lewes & Eastbourne are: Full (642 decisions, 93.9% approved), Other (582, 84.7%), and Discharge of Conditions (461, 98.3%).
How long does a planning application take in Lewes & Eastbourne?
Planning applications in Lewes & Eastbourne take an average of 11.5 weeks to reach a decision, measured across 2,170 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. Lewes & Eastbourne decides approximately 365 planning applications per year.
How do I check planning applications in Lewes & Eastbourne?
You can search planning applications in Lewes & Eastbourne directly on the council's official planning portal. PlanningLens also lets you check any postcode against 2,190 historical decisions in Lewes & Eastbourne to see what's been approved and refused near a specific property.
How is PlanningLens approval rate data for Lewes & Eastbourne calculated?
PlanningLens scrapes Lewes & Eastbourne'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.