Merthyr Tydfil Council approves 88.6% of planning applications, based on 819 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. Merthyr Tydfil sits 3.6 percentage points above the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 319 decided applications, Merthyr Tydfil Council approved 89.7% of planning applications in 2025. Across 819 decisions on record (May 2022 to September 2026), the overall approval rate in Merthyr Tydfil is 88.6%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Merthyr Tydfil council planning portal records · Data to 28 September 2026 · Quote freely with attribution
Enter your postcode for a free, personalised approval pattern report, based on your ward and application type.
Not all applications are treated equally. Extension types, listed building consent, and change of use applications each have very different success rates in Merthyr Tydfil.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | 667 | 86 | 753 | 88.6% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 228 | 6 | 234 | 97.4% |
| Other | 105 | 5 | 110 | 95.5% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 52 | 7 | 59 | 88.1% |
| Advertisement | 37 | 2 | 39 | 94.9% |
| Listed Building | 25 | 2 | 27 | 92.6% |
| Trees | 16 | 1 | 17 | 94.1% |
| Prior Approval | 5 | 3 | 8 | 62.5% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Town | 211 | 18 | 229 | 92.1% |
| Dowlais | 129 | 14 | 143 | 90.2% |
| Plymouth | 126 | 10 | 136 | 92.6% |
| Treharris | 123 | 11 | 134 | 91.8% |
| Cyfarthfa | 120 | 10 | 130 | 92.3% |
| Park | 118 | 9 | 127 | 92.9% |
| Vaynor | 82 | 6 | 88 | 93.2% |
| Merthyr Vale | 54 | 10 | 64 | 84.4% |
| Bedlinog | 52 | 10 | 62 | 83.9% |
| Penydarren | 42 | 9 | 51 | 82.4% |
| Gurnos | 41 | 2 | 43 | 95.3% |
How Merthyr Tydfil’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, down 1.1pp since 2022.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from Merthyr Tydfil council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| P/26/0005 Cyfarthfa | Outline application for up to two dwellings (all matters reserved) | Approved |
| P/26/0149 Penydarren | Construct front driveway | Approved |
| P/26/0131 Dowlais | 5 No. Air Source Heat Pumps and timber fenced compound. | Approved |
| P/26/0141 Town | Replace existing garage with new garage | Approved |
| P/26/0171 Town | Two storey rear extension incorporating a rear dormer. | Refused |
| P/26/0167 Plymouth | First floor side extension with other alterations | Approved |
| P/26/0138 Dowlais | Demolish existing conservatory and construct a single storey rear extensions | Approved |
| P/26/0123 Dowlais | Side and rear extensions to dwelling and widening of existing access into the si | Approved |
| P/26/0162 Treharris | First floor rear extension | Approved |
| P/25/0191 Plymouth | Erection of single storey rear extension | 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 Merthyr Tydfil's 819 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare Merthyr Tydfil's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
Dig deeper into Merthyr Tydfil'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 Merthyr Tydfil. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 819 real decisions from Merthyr Tydfil 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 Merthyr Tydfil'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 819 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Merthyr Tydfil is 88.6%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 819 planning decisions from Merthyr Tydfil council. 726 were approved and 93 were refused. These figures cover every decision on record for the council, May 2022 to September 2026.
The average approval rate in Merthyr Tydfil is 88.6%, 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 Merthyr Tydfil? 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.