North Norfolk Council approves 94.8% of planning applications, based on 2,728 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. North Norfolk sits 6.2 percentage points above the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 1,301 decided applications, North Norfolk Council approved 94.1% of planning applications in 2025. Across 2,728 decisions analysed since January 2020, the overall approval rate in North Norfolk is 94.8%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of North Norfolk 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 Norfolk.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | 1,086 | 72 | 1,158 | 93.8% |
| Trees | 790 | 31 | 821 | 96.2% |
| Other | 186 | 18 | 204 | 91.2% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 162 | 6 | 168 | 96.4% |
| Listed Building | 150 | 10 | 160 | 93.8% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 144 | 2 | 146 | 98.6% |
| Advertisement | 35 | 2 | 37 | 94.6% |
| Prior Approval | 32 | 2 | 34 | 94.1% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coastal | 214 | 14 | 228 | 93.9% |
| Holt | 190 | 11 | 201 | 94.5% |
| Erpingham | 175 | 7 | 182 | 96.2% |
| Stody | 145 | 7 | 152 | 95.4% |
| Priory | 144 | 3 | 147 | 98.0% |
| Wells With Holkham | 134 | 7 | 141 | 95.0% |
| Beeston Regis & The Runtons | 105 | 4 | 109 | 96.3% |
| Walsingham | 108 | 1 | 109 | 99.1% |
| Poppyland | 102 | 4 | 106 | 96.2% |
| Roughton | 89 | 7 | 96 | 92.7% |
| Hoveton & Tunstead | 86 | 4 | 90 | 95.6% |
| Cromer Town | 87 | 2 | 89 | 97.8% |
| Lancaster South | 80 | 6 | 86 | 93.0% |
| Gresham | 82 | 3 | 85 | 96.5% |
| Sheringham North | 66 | 5 | 71 | 93.0% |
| The Raynhams | 66 | 4 | 70 | 94.3% |
| Happisburgh | 62 | 7 | 69 | 89.9% |
| Sheringham South | 63 | 2 | 65 | 96.9% |
| Stalham | 58 | 2 | 60 | 96.7% |
| Bacton | 53 | 4 | 57 | 93.0% |
| Mundesley | 49 | 6 | 55 | 89.1% |
| Suffield Park | 51 | 3 | 54 | 94.4% |
| Stibbard | 47 | 3 | 50 | 94.0% |
| Trunch | 40 | 5 | 45 | 88.9% |
| North Walsham West | 43 | 1 | 44 | 97.7% |
Showing top 25 of 32 wards by volume. Your free property report includes the full ward breakdown.
See full ward breakdown →How North Norfolk’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, up 1.0pp since 2024.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from North Norfolk council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| PF/26/1012 North Walsham West | Change of use of land from agricultural to residential associated with dwelling | Approved |
| PF/26/1242 Walsingham | Demolition of dwelling and erection of a self-build replacement 1.5-storey dwell | Approved |
| PF/26/1125 Stody | Two story rear extension, removal of side porch and replacement front porch, int | Approved |
| PF/26/0494 St Benet's | Material change of use of land to use as a residential caravan site for 1 no. Gy | Approved |
| PF/26/1138 Hoveton & Tunstead | Replacement of thatch roof covering to part of dwelling with pantiles | Approved |
| PF/26/0290 Coastal | Replacement of oil fired boilers for air source heat pumps, and solar panels bel | Approved |
| PU/25/2201 Stibbard | Change of use of two agricultural buildings to form 10 dwellings (Class C3), com | Approved |
| PF/26/1314 Erpingham | Demolition of existing garage and erection of three bay cart shed | Approved |
| PF/26/1047 Holt | Front porch extension | Approved |
| PF/26/0824 Beeston Regis & The Runtons | Erection of single storey dwelling (self-build) | 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 Norfolk's 2,728 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare North Norfolk's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
Dig deeper into North Norfolk'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 Norfolk. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 2,728 real decisions from North Norfolk 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 Norfolk'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 2,728 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in North Norfolk is 94.8%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 2,728 planning decisions from North Norfolk council. 2,585 were approved and 143 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in North Norfolk is 94.8%, 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 Norfolk? 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.