New Forest Council approves 89.5% of planning applications, based on 8,476 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. New Forest sits 4.5 percentage points above the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 1,022 decided applications, New Forest Council approved 89.0% of planning applications in 2025. Across 8,476 decisions on record (January 2018 to September 2026), the overall approval rate in New Forest is 89.5%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of New Forest 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 New Forest.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | 6,746 | 733 | 7,479 | 90.2% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 851 | 186 | 1,037 | 82.1% |
| Other | 503 | 110 | 613 | 82.1% |
| Listed Building | 520 | 71 | 591 | 88.0% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 336 | 21 | 357 | 94.1% |
| Advertisement | 223 | 35 | 258 | 86.4% |
| Prior Approval | 66 | 31 | 97 | 68.0% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lymington | 1,011 | 133 | 1,144 | 88.4% |
| Milford & Hordle | 812 | 110 | 922 | 88.1% |
| Ringwood South | 524 | 85 | 609 | 86.0% |
| Fordingbridge, Godshill & Hyde | 525 | 79 | 604 | 86.9% |
| Barton & Becton | 481 | 47 | 528 | 91.1% |
| Pennington | 426 | 67 | 493 | 86.4% |
| Ringwood North & Ellingham | 399 | 54 | 453 | 88.1% |
| Downlands & Forest North | 364 | 66 | 430 | 84.7% |
| Milton | 356 | 58 | 414 | 86.0% |
| Fawley, Blackfield, Calshot & Langley | 358 | 29 | 387 | 92.5% |
| Totton South | 289 | 26 | 315 | 91.7% |
| Marchwood & Eling | 268 | 26 | 294 | 91.2% |
| Bransgore, Burley, Sopley & Ringwood Eas | 245 | 31 | 276 | 88.8% |
| Dibden & Dibden Purlieu | 238 | 29 | 267 | 89.1% |
| Totton Central | 224 | 25 | 249 | 90.0% |
| Totton North | 195 | 14 | 209 | 93.3% |
| Hythe Central | 104 | 9 | 113 | 92.0% |
| Ashley, Bashley & Fernhill | 90 | 10 | 100 | 90.0% |
| Hardley, Holbury & North Blackfield | 70 | 7 | 77 | 90.9% |
| Hythe South | 64 | 6 | 70 | 91.4% |
| Ballard | 58 | 1 | 59 | 98.3% |
| Ashurst, Bramshaw, Copythorne & Netley M | 42 | 7 | 49 | 85.7% |
How New Forest’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, up 7.5pp since 2018.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from New Forest council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| 26/10881 Totton South | Single-storey rear extension (Lawful Development Certificate that permission is | Approved |
| 26/10813 Ringwood South | Detached single garage | Approved |
| 26/10803 Milford & Hordle | Attached garage | Approved |
| 26/10774 Bransgore, Burley, Sopley & Ringwood Eas | Single-storey extension | Approved |
| 26/10763 Ringwood North & Ellingham | Rear extension; new roof and dormers and to facilitate creation of first floor; | Approved |
| 26/10744 Lymington | Single garage (Retrospective) | Approved |
| 26/10734 Lymington | Proposed roof extension with front and rear dormers and rear 1 1/2 storey extens | Approved |
| 26/10729 Downlands & Forest North | Roof alterations to include new pitched roofs with solar panels to front elevati | Approved |
| 26/10556 Dibden & Dibden Purlieu | Single-storey side extension | Approved |
| 26/10419 Ringwood South | Erect building above existing parking spaces to create 1 no. 2-bedroom flat | 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 New Forest's 8,476 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare New Forest's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
Dig deeper into New Forest'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 New Forest. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 8,476 real decisions from New Forest 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 New Forest'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 8,476 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in New Forest is 89.5%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 8,476 planning decisions from New Forest council. 7,586 were approved and 890 were refused. These figures cover every decision on record for the council, January 2018 to September 2026.
The average approval rate in New Forest is 89.5%, 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 New Forest? 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.