Moray planning approval rate

Moray council approved 98.3% of planning applications and refused 1.7%, based on 1,150 decisions analysed. Ranked 211th out of 221 councils for strictness.

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

98.3%

overall approval rate

1,150

Decisions analysed

1,131

Approved

Refused

Wards covered

Planning in Moray? 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 Moray. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.

Other (808 decided)

98.1%

Prior Approval (160 decided)

100.0%

Listed Building (113 decided)

99.1%

Certificate of Lawfulness (38 decided)

94.7%

Advertisement (31 decided)

96.8%

Approval rate by project type

These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Moray — mined from 1,150 proposal descriptions.

Garage / Parking (104 decided)

97.1%

Extension (General) (90 decided)

98.9%

Change of Use (Residential) (78 decided)

96.2%

Outbuilding (44 decided)

100.0%

Conservatory (30 decided)

96.7%

Annex (20 decided)

100.0%

Dormer (15 decided)

100.0%

New Build (12 decided)

100.0%

Approval rate by ward

Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Moray. Click any ward for detailed statistics.

Speyside Glenlivet (215 decided)

98.1%

Forres (176 decided)

98.9%

Heldon And Laich (174 decided)

98.3%

Fochabers Lhanbryde (154 decided)

99.4%

Keith And Cullen (143 decided)

97.9%

Elgin City South (123 decided)

96.7%

Buckie (85 decided)

98.8%

Elgin City North (75 decided)

98.7%

Wards in Moray

Speyside Glenlivet

98.1% approval · 215 decisions

Forres

98.9% approval · 176 decisions

Heldon And Laich

98.3% approval · 174 decisions

Fochabers Lhanbryde

99.4% approval · 154 decisions

Keith And Cullen

97.9% approval · 143 decisions

Elgin City South

96.7% approval · 123 decisions

Buckie

98.8% approval · 85 decisions

Elgin City North

98.7% approval · 75 decisions

Recent comparable decisions

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

26/00082/APP

Revise house design and position approved under ref 19/00682/APP to erect a dwel · Keith And Cullen · Fri 06 Mar 2026

Approved

26/00141/APP

Erect new front porch at · Elgin City North · Thu 05 Mar 2026

Approved

26/00064/APP

Change of use from domestic to short term let at · Elgin City South · Wed 04 Mar 2026

Refused

Showing 3 of 200 comparable decisions. See all 200 in the Pro Report →

What gets approved near your property?

In Moray, 1 in 59 applications are refused. Your PlanningLens Pro Report gives you 17 pages of intelligence specific to your property:

✓ Ward-level approval rates for your exact area
✓ Common refusal reasons in Moray
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect

Get Moray Pro Report — £79

Less than one set of revised drawings. Based on 1,150 decisions.

Compare with nearby councils

Aberdeenshire Highland Angus Perth & Kinross

Check planning approval patterns — Free