North Devon planning approval rate
North Devon council approved 96.5% of planning applications and refused 3.5%, based on 58 decisions analysed.
Last updated: October 2026 · Based on every decision on record, June 2026 to October 2026
96.55%
overall approval rate
Planning in North Devon?
Check your postcode to see approval rates specific to your ward and street.
Planning professional? PlanningLens runs refusal alerts and evidence packs for North Devon and any other published UK council. See the data services →
Approval rate by application type
Different application types have different approval rates in North Devon. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in North Devon, mined from 58 proposal descriptions.
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within North Devon. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
Wards in North Devon
Recent comparable decisions
Recent decisions on record in North Devon. Each reference links to the record on the council’s planning portal.
Extension to dwelling with new raised decking · BICKINGTON · 2026-10-19
Demolition of barn & erection of one dwelling with detached garage and associate · LANDKEY · 2026-10-19
Retrospective application for access road to dwellings & reinstatement of consen · BICKINGTON · 2026-10-19
Showing 3 recent decisions. See more in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In North Devon, 1 in 29 applications are refused. The PlanningLens property report runs to 17 pages on your address:
✓ Ward-level approval rates for your exact area
✓ Common refusal reasons in North Devon
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for North Devon →
Free. Based on 58 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in North Devon
What is the planning approval rate in North Devon?
Based on 58 planning decisions on record, June 2026 to October 2026, North Devon approved 96.5% of applications and refused 3.5%.
How many planning applications are refused in North Devon?
North Devon refuses 3.5% of planning applications, roughly 1 in 29. That is lower than the UK average of 12.57%. Out of 58 decided applications on record, June 2026 to October 2026, 2 were refused. PlanningLens lets you check any postcode to see which applications were refused near a specific property.
Which areas of North Devon have the highest planning approval rates?
Approval rates in North Devon vary by ward, see the ward breakdown above for detailed figures for each area.
What types of planning application are most common in North Devon?
The most common planning application types in North Devon are: Full (53 decisions, 94.3% approved), Discharge of Conditions (25, 100.0%), and Trees (21, 95.2%).
How long does a planning application take in North Devon?
Planning applications in North Devon typically take 6.0 weeks from validation to decision: the median across 133 applications decided since January 2020 with both dates on record. That is inside the 8-week statutory target for householder applications (the statutory targets are 8 weeks for householder applications and 13 weeks for major developments). PlanningLens measures the actual time each application takes, not just the target.
How do I check planning applications in North Devon?
You can search planning applications in North Devon directly on the council's official planning portal. PlanningLens also lets you check any postcode against 58 historical decisions in North Devon to see what's been approved and refused near a specific property.
How is PlanningLens approval rate data for North Devon calculated?
PlanningLens scrapes North Devon's official planning portal and analyses every published decision since January 2020. The approval rate is calculated as approved decisions divided by total decided applications, excluding withdrawn and pending applications. The full methodology, data sourcing, and Creative Commons BY 4.0 licensing terms are published at
planninglens.co.uk/methodology.