Lewes & Eastbourne Council approves 88.9% of planning applications, based on 1,248 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. Lewes & Eastbourne sits 3.9 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 1,248 decisions on record (September 2023 to September 2026), the overall approval rate in Lewes & Eastbourne is 88.9%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Lewes & Eastbourne council planning portal records · Data to 1 September 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 | 633 | 40 | 673 | 94.1% |
| Other | 520 | 91 | 611 | 85.1% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 486 | 8 | 494 | 98.4% |
| Trees | 255 | 26 | 281 | 90.7% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 107 | 26 | 133 | 80.5% |
| Listed Building | 74 | 2 | 76 | 97.4% |
| Prior Approval | 26 | 5 | 31 | 83.9% |
| Advertisement | 28 | 1 | 29 | 96.6% |
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 | 364 | 33 | 397 | 91.7% |
| Ouse Valley & Ringmer | 314 | 22 | 336 | 93.5% |
| Newick | 179 | 20 | 199 | 89.9% |
| East Saltdean & Telscombe Cliffs | 142 | 19 | 161 | 88.2% |
| Wivelsfield | 114 | 16 | 130 | 87.7% |
| Newhaven South | 114 | 15 | 129 | 88.4% |
| Seaford South | 118 | 5 | 123 | 95.9% |
| Plumpton Streat E.Chiltington St John W | 103 | 9 | 112 | 92.0% |
| Seaford Central | 103 | 5 | 108 | 95.4% |
| Seaford East | 90 | 9 | 99 | 90.9% |
| Peacehaven West | 79 | 6 | 85 | 92.9% |
| Seaford North | 82 | 3 | 85 | 96.5% |
| Newhaven North | 71 | 7 | 78 | 91.0% |
| Peacehaven North | 67 | 10 | 77 | 87.0% |
| Peacehaven East | 62 | 8 | 70 | 88.6% |
| Seaford West | 59 | 3 | 62 | 95.2% |
| Ditchling & Westmeston | 22 | 3 | 25 | 88.0% |
| Kingston | 14 | 1 | 15 | 93.3% |
How Lewes & Eastbourne’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, up 0.3pp 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/25/0178 Wivelsfield | Construction of 1no. dwelling with attached garage | Approved |
| LW/26/0346 Seaford Central | Single storey rear extension and two storey side extension | Approved |
| LW/25/0128 Wivelsfield | Erection of 2no. dwelling-houses with detached garages and associated landscapin | Approved |
| LW/26/0375 Plumpton Streat E.Chiltington St John W | Change of use from the existing agricultural building to a flexible use for stor | Approved |
| LW/26/0320 Peacehaven East | Erection of single-storey extension following demolition of existing extensions, | Approved |
| LW/26/0334 Seaford North | Addition of 1 no. front dormer and modification to roof at front first floor lev | Approved |
| LW/26/0313 Seaford North | Continuous use of the loft conversion with rear/side dormer for a period in exce | Approved |
| LW/26/0241 Seaford Central | Replacement of metal windows with UPVC in basement and ground floor, addition of | Approved |
| LW/26/0127 Wivelsfield | Change of use from existing stables into single-storey habitable space including | Approved |
| LW/25/0375 Ouse Valley & Ringmer | Demolition of existing storage buildings, construction of a new workshop buildin | 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 1,248 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 1,248 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 1,248 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Lewes & Eastbourne is 88.9%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 1,248 planning decisions from Lewes & Eastbourne council. 1,109 were approved and 139 were refused. These figures cover every decision on record for the council, September 2023 to September 2026.
The average approval rate in Lewes & Eastbourne is 88.9%, 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.