Lewes & Eastbourne planning approval rate

Lewes & Eastbourne council approved 91.5% of planning applications and refused 8.5%, based on 1,948 decisions analysed. Ranked 136th out of 237 councils for strictness.

Last updated: May 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to present

91.5%

overall approval rate

1,948

Decisions analysed

1,782

Approved

166

Refused

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.

Full (568 decided)

93.8%

Other (517 decided)

85.5%

Discharge of Conditions (410 decided)

98.3%

Trees (236 decided)

90.7%

Certificate of Lawfulness (110 decided)

81.8%

Listed Building (66 decided)

97.0%

Prior Approval (25 decided)

84.0%

Advertisement (16 decided)

93.8%

Approval rate by project type

These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Lewes & Eastbourne — mined from 1,948 proposal descriptions.

Garage / Parking (320 decided)

89.4%

Rear Extension (293 decided)

95.9%

Side Extension (164 decided)

93.9%

Dormer (147 decided)

95.2%

Outbuilding (95 decided)

86.3%

New Build (87 decided)

79.3%

Loft Conversion (84 decided)

96.4%

Extension (General) (74 decided)

94.6%

Conservatory (68 decided)

98.5%

Change of Use (Residential) (65 decided)

73.8%

Front Extension (55 decided)

94.5%

Annex (40 decided)

80.0%

Hip-to-Gable Conversion (35 decided)

97.1%

Wraparound Extension (20 decided)

90.0%

Basement (11 decided)

90.9%

Flat Conversion (10 decided)

80.0%

Approval rate by ward

Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Lewes & Eastbourne. Click any ward for detailed statistics.

Chailey, Barcombe & Hamsey (327 decided)

91.7%

Ouse Valley & Ringmer (279 decided)

92.5%

Newick (157 decided)

89.8%

East Saltdean & Telscombe Cliffs (140 decided)

87.9%

Newhaven South (115 decided)

89.6%

Wivelsfield (110 decided)

85.5%

Seaford South (109 decided)

98.2%

Seaford Central (93 decided)

96.8%

Plumpton Streat E.Chiltington St John W (87 decided)

90.8%

Seaford East (86 decided)

91.9%

Seaford North (73 decided)

97.3%

Peacehaven West (70 decided)

92.9%

Newhaven North (68 decided)

91.2%

Peacehaven North (67 decided)

88.1%

Peacehaven East (54 decided)

88.9%

Seaford West (49 decided)

95.9%

Ditchling & Westmeston (22 decided)

86.4%

Wards in Lewes & Eastbourne

Chailey, Barcombe & Hamsey

91.7% approval · 327 decisions

Ouse Valley & Ringmer

92.5% approval · 279 decisions

Newick

89.8% approval · 157 decisions

East Saltdean & Telscombe Cliffs

87.9% approval · 140 decisions

Newhaven South

89.6% approval · 115 decisions

Wivelsfield

85.5% approval · 110 decisions

Seaford South

98.2% approval · 109 decisions

Seaford Central

96.8% approval · 93 decisions

Plumpton Streat E.Chiltington St John W

90.8% approval · 87 decisions

Seaford East

91.9% approval · 86 decisions

Seaford North

97.3% approval · 73 decisions

Peacehaven West

92.9% approval · 70 decisions

Newhaven North

91.2% approval · 68 decisions

Peacehaven North

88.1% approval · 67 decisions

Peacehaven East

88.9% approval · 54 decisions

Seaford West

95.9% approval · 49 decisions

Ditchling & Westmeston

86.4% approval · 22 decisions

Recent comparable decisions

The most recent residential planning decisions in Lewes & Eastbourne, showing how the council decides real applications.

LW/26/0055

Erection of agricultural barn for storing hay, straw and machinery · Ouse Valley & Ringmer · Wed 04 Mar 2026

Approved

LW/26/0056

Engineering and groundworks associated with the erection of a hay, straw and mac · Ouse Valley & Ringmer · Wed 04 Mar 2026

Approved

LW/25/0559

Proposed lawful development certificate for alterations to fenestration · Chailey, Barcombe & Hamsey · Wed 04 Mar 2026

Approved

Showing 3 of 200 comparable decisions. See all 200 in the full report →

What gets approved near your property?

In Lewes & Eastbourne, 1 in 12 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 →

Free. Based on 1,948 decisions.

Compare with nearby councils

Brighton & Hove Mid Sussex Hastings South Downs

Check planning approval patterns — Free