North Kesteven planning approval rate
North Kesteven council approved 97.4% of planning applications and refused 2.6%, based on 571 decisions analysed. Ranked 261st out of 279 councils for strictness.
Last updated: June 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to present
97.4%
overall approval rate
571
Decisions analysed
556
Approved
15
Refused
23
Wards covered
Planning in North Kesteven? Check your postcode to see approval rates specific to your ward and street.
Approval rate by application type
Different application types have different approval rates in North Kesteven. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.
96.4%
94.7%
100.0%
100.0%
100.0%
100.0%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in North Kesteven — mined from 571 proposal descriptions.
98.9%
100.0%
100.0%
100.0%
97.7%
95.3%
95.0%
100.0%
100.0%
100.0%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within North Kesteven. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
Navenby And Brant Broughton
98.0%
Skellingthorpe And Eagle
97.5%
Heighington And Washingborough
100.0%
Waddington Rural
94.3%
Heckington Rural
93.8%
Metheringham Rural
96.7%
Witham St Hughs And Swinderby
100.0%
Billinghay Rural
100.0%
Sleaford Westholme
100.0%
Hykeham Central
100.0%
Helpringham And Osbournby
100.0%
Hykeham Fosse
100.0%
Sleaford Navigation
90.5%
Sleaford Quarrington And Mareham
100.0%
Wards in North Kesteven
Navenby And Brant Broughton
98.0% approval · 51 decisions
Skellingthorpe And Eagle
97.5% approval · 40 decisions
Heighington And Washingborough
100.0% approval · 37 decisions
Waddington Rural
94.3% approval · 35 decisions
Heckington Rural
93.8% approval · 32 decisions
Metheringham Rural
96.7% approval · 30 decisions
Witham St Hughs And Swinderby
100.0% approval · 29 decisions
Billinghay Rural
100.0% approval · 28 decisions
Sleaford Westholme
100.0% approval · 26 decisions
Hykeham Central
100.0% approval · 26 decisions
Helpringham And Osbournby
100.0% approval · 26 decisions
Hykeham Fosse
100.0% approval · 23 decisions
Sleaford Navigation
90.5% approval · 21 decisions
Sleaford Quarrington And Mareham
100.0% approval · 20 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in North Kesteven, showing how the council decides real applications.
Single storey rear extension 5.45m in total length from the original wall, eaves · Cranwell, Leasingham And Wilsford · Mon 22 Jun 2026
Erection of single storey extension to garage (retrospective) · Cranwell, Leasingham And Wilsford · Mon 22 Jun 2026
Proposed single storey side and rear extensions · Branston · Mon 22 Jun 2026
Showing 3 of 200 comparable decisions. See all 200 in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In North Kesteven, 1 in 38 applications are refused. Your PlanningLens Full Planning Analysis gives you 17 pages of intelligence specific to your property:
✓ Ward-level approval rates for your exact area
✓ Common refusal reasons in North Kesteven
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for North Kesteven →
✓ Common refusal reasons in North Kesteven
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free. Based on 571 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in North Kesteven
What is the planning approval rate in North Kesteven?
Based on 571 planning decisions analysed since 2020, North Kesteven approved 97.4% of applications and refused 2.6%. The council is ranked 261st out of 279 UK councils for approval rate.
Which areas of North Kesteven have the highest planning approval rates?
The highest approval rates in North Kesteven are in Navenby And Brant Broughton (98.0%). Approval rates vary significantly by ward — see the full ward breakdown above.
What types of planning application are most common in North Kesteven?
The most common planning application types in North Kesteven are: Full (253 decisions, 96.4% approved), Other (114, 94.7%), and Discharge of Conditions (81, 100.0%).
How long does a planning application take in North Kesteven?
Planning applications in North Kesteven take an average of 11.4 weeks to reach a decision, measured across 569 decisions with a recorded timeline. That is slower than 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. North Kesteven decides approximately 95 planning applications per year.
How do I check planning applications in North Kesteven?
You can search planning applications in North Kesteven directly on the council's official planning portal. PlanningLens also lets you check any postcode against 571 historical decisions in North Kesteven to see what's been approved and refused near a specific property.
How is PlanningLens approval rate data for North Kesteven calculated?
PlanningLens scrapes North Kesteven'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.