Moray Council approves 97.9% of planning applications, based on 1,565 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. Moray sits 9.3 percentage points above the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 318 decided applications, Moray Council approved 96.5% of planning applications in 2025. Across 1,565 decisions analysed since January 2020, the overall approval rate in Moray is 97.9%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Moray council planning portal records · Updated August 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 Moray.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 1,134 | 26 | 1,160 | 97.8% |
| Prior Approval | 159 | 0 | 159 | 100.0% |
| Listed Building | 157 | 2 | 159 | 98.7% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 42 | 3 | 45 | 93.3% |
| Advertisement | 40 | 2 | 42 | 95.2% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speyside Glenlivet | 262 | 7 | 269 | 97.4% |
| Forres | 247 | 2 | 249 | 99.2% |
| Heldon And Laich | 231 | 8 | 239 | 96.7% |
| Fochabers Lhanbryde | 221 | 3 | 224 | 98.7% |
| Keith And Cullen | 191 | 5 | 196 | 97.4% |
| Elgin City South | 160 | 4 | 164 | 97.6% |
| Elgin City North | 108 | 3 | 111 | 97.3% |
| Buckie | 107 | 1 | 108 | 99.1% |
How Moray’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, down 1.5pp since 2021.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from Moray council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| 26/00462/APP Elgin City North | Temporary siting of caravan during house build of application 15/02108/APP at | Approved |
| 26/00819/APP Fochabers Lhanbryde | Change of house type on Plot 11 on | Approved |
| 26/00300/APP Elgin City North | Single storey extension to rear of dwelling at | Approved |
| 26/00886/APP Speyside Glenlivet | Replace exiting window with bifold doors and internal alterations at | Approved |
| 26/00492/APP Speyside Glenlivet | Erect a polycarbonate tunnel tool store pedestrian gate fence pergola install so | Approved |
| 26/00528/APP Heldon And Laich | Change of use from industrial unit to a community leisure facility (fitness and | Approved |
| 26/00722/APP Buckie | Change of use from category 1A (shop/retail) to category 3 (food/drink/cafe use) | Approved |
| 26/00674/APP Heldon And Laich | Change of use from flat to short term let | Approved |
| 26/00675/APP Heldon And Laich | Change of use from flat to short holiday let at | Approved |
| 26/00624/APP Fochabers Lhanbryde | Proposed sun room extension at | 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 Moray's 1,565 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare Moray's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
Dig deeper into Moray'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 Moray. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 1,565 real decisions from Moray 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 Moray'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 1,565 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Moray is 97.9%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 1,565 planning decisions from Moray council. 1,532 were approved and 33 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in Moray is 97.9%, 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 Moray? 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.