Moray Council approves – of planning applications, based on 1,362 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. Moray is closely in line with the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 1,362 decided applications on record (March 2021 to September 2026), Moray Council approved – of planning applications. The national average approval rate across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Moray council planning portal records · Data to 29 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 Moray.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | – | – | 1,229 | – |
| Listed Building | – | – | 165 | – |
| Prior Approval | – | – | 162 | – |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | – | – | 49 | – |
| Advertisement | – | – | 43 | – |
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 | – | – | 285 | – |
| Forres | – | – | 267 | – |
| Heldon And Laich | – | – | 250 | – |
| Fochabers Lhanbryde | – | – | 236 | – |
| Keith And Cullen | – | – | 209 | – |
| Elgin City South | – | – | 172 | – |
| Elgin City North | – | – | 115 | – |
| Buckie | – | – | 109 | – |
How Moray’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, unchanged 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 26/00911/APP Keith And Cullen | Replacement door on the rear elevation at | Approved |
| 25/01036/CLE Heldon And Laich | Confirmation of commencement to replace existing farm buildings with dwellinghou | Approved |
| 26/00430/LBC Forres | Addition of roof light replace existing windows slates and gutters and remove ex | Approved |
| 26/00423/APP Forres | Addition of roof light replace existing windows slates and gutters and remove ex | Approved |
| 26/00905/APP Elgin City South | Erect replacement sun lounge at | Approved |
| 26/00906/LBC Elgin City South | Erect replacement sun lounge at | Approved |
| 26/00694/CLE Heldon And Laich | Continued operation of an established home-based dog grooming business (Seaside | Approved |
| 26/00954/APP Elgin City South | Remove existing RAAC roof structure and replace it with a new insulated roof, in | Approved |
| 26/00953/APP Forres | Alter and extend dwellinghouse at | Approved |
| 26/00805/APP Fochabers Lhanbryde | Proposed dwellinghouse and site temporary static caravan during construction wor | 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 1,362 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 1,362 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 1,362 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Moray is –. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 1,362 planning decisions from Moray council. – were approved and – were refused. These figures cover every decision on record for the council, March 2021 to September 2026.
The average approval rate in Moray is –, 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.