North Ayrshire Council approves 98.1% of planning applications, based on 1,312 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.3%. North Ayrshire sits 9.8 percentage points above the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 348 decided applications, North Ayrshire Council approved 98.3% of planning applications in 2025. Across 1,312 decisions analysed since January 2020, the overall approval rate in North Ayrshire is 98.1%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.3%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of North Ayrshire council planning portal records · Updated June 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 North Ayrshire.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | 956 | 11 | 967 | 98.9% |
| Trees | 124 | 0 | 124 | 100.0% |
| Other | 83 | 10 | 93 | 89.2% |
| Listed Building | 57 | 1 | 58 | 98.3% |
| Advertisement | 54 | 2 | 56 | 96.4% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 7 | 1 | 8 | 87.5% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 6 | 0 | 6 | 100.0% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Coast | 334 | 4 | 338 | 98.8% |
| Garnock Valley | 157 | 4 | 161 | 97.5% |
| Arran | 133 | 1 | 134 | 99.3% |
| Saltcoats And Stevenston | 99 | 2 | 101 | 98.0% |
| Irvine West | 99 | 2 | 101 | 98.0% |
| Irvine South | 86 | 4 | 90 | 95.6% |
| Irvine East | 72 | 1 | 73 | 98.6% |
| Kilwinning | 70 | 3 | 73 | 95.9% |
| North Coast And Cumbraes | 52 | 1 | 53 | 98.1% |
| Dalry And West Kilbride | 45 | 2 | 47 | 95.7% |
| Ardrossan And Arran | 44 | 1 | 45 | 97.8% |
| Ardrossan | 43 | 0 | 43 | 100.0% |
| Kilbirnie And Beith | 29 | 0 | 29 | 100.0% |
| Saltcoats | 11 | 0 | 11 | 100.0% |
How North Ayrshire’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, down 2.3pp since 2021.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from North Ayrshire council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| 26/00359/PP North Coast | Installation of outdoor barrel sauna | Approved |
| 26/00146/PP Ardrossan And Arran | Erection of detached dwelling house with shared access | Refused |
| 26/00303/PP North Coast | Erection of one a half storey dwelling house and detached garage | Approved |
| 26/00368/PP North Coast | Erection of extension to rear of detached dwelling house | Approved |
| 26/00358/PP Arran | Erection of extension to side of detached dwelling house | Approved |
| 26/00286/PP Arran | Erection of workshop | Approved |
| 25/00144/LBC Arran | Replacement of wooden sash and case windows with uPVC double glazed sash and cas | Refused |
| 26/00257/PP North Coast | Change of use of vacant shop to dwelling flat | Approved |
| 26/00227/PP Arran | Erection of detached dwelling house (Plot 1) | Approved |
| 26/00340/PP Saltcoats And Stevenston | Erection of single storey extension to side of semi-detached dwelling house | 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 North Ayrshire's 1,312 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare North Ayrshire's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
Dig deeper into North Ayrshire'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 North Ayrshire. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 1,312 real decisions from North Ayrshire 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 North Ayrshire'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 1,312 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in North Ayrshire is 98.1%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.3%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 1,312 planning decisions from North Ayrshire council. 1,287 were approved and 25 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in North Ayrshire is 98.1%, 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 North Ayrshire? 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.