North Kesteven Council approves 97.5% of planning applications, based on 719 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. North Kesteven sits 8.9 percentage points above the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 719 decided applications published since January 2020, North Kesteven Council approved 97.5% of planning applications. The national average approval rate across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of North Kesteven council planning portal records · Updated August 2026 · Quote freely with attribution
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Not all applications are treated equally. Extension types, listed building consent, and change of use applications each have very different success rates in North Kesteven.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | 303 | 10 | 313 | 96.8% |
| Other | 133 | 7 | 140 | 95.0% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 109 | 0 | 109 | 100.0% |
| Prior Approval | 86 | 0 | 86 | 100.0% |
| Listed Building | 42 | 0 | 42 | 100.0% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 17 | 1 | 18 | 94.4% |
| Advertisement | 11 | 0 | 11 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Navenby And Brant Broughton | 58 | 2 | 60 | 96.7% |
| Skellingthorpe And Eagle | 50 | 2 | 52 | 96.2% |
| Heighington And Washingborough | 44 | 0 | 44 | 100.0% |
| Witham St Hughs And Swinderby | 44 | 0 | 44 | 100.0% |
| Heckington Rural | 41 | 2 | 43 | 95.3% |
| Waddington Rural | 36 | 2 | 38 | 94.7% |
| Metheringham Rural | 36 | 1 | 37 | 97.3% |
| Billinghay Rural | 36 | 0 | 36 | 100.0% |
| Helpringham And Osbournby | 32 | 0 | 32 | 100.0% |
| Sleaford Westholme | 31 | 0 | 31 | 100.0% |
| Hykeham Central | 30 | 0 | 30 | 100.0% |
| Hykeham Fosse | 30 | 0 | 30 | 100.0% |
| Sleaford Navigation | 27 | 2 | 29 | 93.1% |
| Branston | 24 | 2 | 26 | 92.3% |
| Ashby De La Launde, Digby And Scopwick | 26 | 0 | 26 | 100.0% |
| Hykeham Memorial | 22 | 0 | 22 | 100.0% |
| Kirkby La Thorpe And South Kyme | 20 | 1 | 21 | 95.2% |
| Sleaford Quarrington And Mareham | 21 | 0 | 21 | 100.0% |
| Bassingham Rural | 20 | 1 | 21 | 95.2% |
| Ruskington | 21 | 0 | 21 | 100.0% |
| Cranwell, Leasingham And Wilsford | 20 | 1 | 21 | 95.2% |
| Bracebridge Heath | 19 | 0 | 19 | 100.0% |
| Sleaford Castle | 9 | 1 | 10 | 90.0% |
How North Kesteven’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, up 8.7pp since 2021.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from North Kesteven council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| 26/0864/PNH Ruskington | Single storey rear extension 5.6m in total length from the original wall, eaves | Approved |
| 26/0859/PNH Metheringham Rural | Single storey rear extension 4.95m in total length from the original wall, eaves | Approved |
| 26/0827/HOUS Hykeham Fosse | Erection of two storey and single storey rear extensions and detached double gar | Approved |
| 26/0786/HOUS Billinghay Rural | Removal of existing conservatory and erection of a single storey rear extension | Approved |
| 26/0784/HOUS Branston | Replace existing flat roof with pitched roof to match existing pitched roof | Approved |
| 26/0782/HOUS Ashby De La Launde, Digby And Scopwick | Demolition of existing conservatory and erection of single storey extension to s | Approved |
| 26/0796/HOUS Witham St Hughs And Swinderby | Internal and external alterations including the provision of a lift and erection | Approved |
| 26/0734/FUL Branston | Proposed extension to existing factory with associated hard landscaping and drai | Approved |
| 26/0719/LBC Witham St Hughs And Swinderby | Internal and external alterations including the provision of a lift and erection | Approved |
| 26/0632/LDEXI Witham St Hughs And Swinderby | Application for a lawful development certificate for existing residential use of | 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 Kesteven's 719 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare North Kesteven's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
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Dig deeper into North Kesteven'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 Kesteven. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 719 real decisions from North Kesteven 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 Kesteven'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 719 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in North Kesteven is 97.5%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 719 planning decisions from North Kesteven council. 701 were approved and 18 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in North Kesteven is 97.5%, 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 North Kesteven? 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.