North Norfolk Council approves 94.7% of planning applications, based on 2,219 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.3%. North Norfolk sits 6.4 percentage points above the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 1,305 decided applications, North Norfolk Council approved 94.1% of planning applications in 2025. Across 2,219 decisions analysed since January 2020, the overall approval rate in North Norfolk is 94.7%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.3%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of North Norfolk council planning portal records · Updated June 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 | 882 | 60 | 942 | 93.6% |
| Trees | 652 | 27 | 679 | 96.0% |
| Other | 148 | 15 | 163 | 90.8% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 130 | 5 | 135 | 96.3% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 122 | 1 | 123 | 99.2% |
| Listed Building | 114 | 7 | 121 | 94.2% |
| Prior Approval | 27 | 2 | 29 | 93.1% |
| Advertisement | 26 | 1 | 27 | 96.3% |
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 | 172 | 12 | 184 | 93.5% |
| Holt | 160 | 11 | 171 | 93.6% |
| Erpingham | 137 | 6 | 143 | 95.8% |
| Priory | 124 | 2 | 126 | 98.4% |
| Stody | 118 | 6 | 124 | 95.2% |
| Wells With Holkham | 102 | 5 | 107 | 95.3% |
| Beeston Regis & The Runtons | 90 | 3 | 93 | 96.8% |
| Poppyland | 87 | 3 | 90 | 96.7% |
| Walsingham | 81 | 1 | 82 | 98.8% |
| Roughton | 65 | 7 | 72 | 90.3% |
| Cromer Town | 69 | 2 | 71 | 97.2% |
| Hoveton & Tunstead | 65 | 4 | 69 | 94.2% |
| Lancaster South | 65 | 3 | 68 | 95.6% |
| Gresham | 65 | 3 | 68 | 95.6% |
| Happisburgh | 60 | 6 | 66 | 90.9% |
| Sheringham North | 52 | 5 | 57 | 91.2% |
| The Raynhams | 55 | 1 | 56 | 98.2% |
| Sheringham South | 51 | 2 | 53 | 96.2% |
| Stalham | 48 | 2 | 50 | 96.0% |
| Bacton | 46 | 2 | 48 | 95.8% |
| Mundesley | 38 | 6 | 44 | 86.4% |
| Worstead | 40 | 1 | 41 | 97.6% |
| Stibbard | 38 | 2 | 40 | 95.0% |
| Suffield Park | 37 | 2 | 39 | 94.9% |
| North Walsham Market Cross | 34 | 1 | 35 | 97.1% |
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 1.5pp 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/26/0888 Happisburgh | Installation of front balcony (retrospective) | Approved |
| PF/26/0873 Beeston Regis & The Runtons | Extension and alterations to dwelling including replacement roof to allow for fi | Approved |
| TW/26/1027 Erpingham | T1 Oak tree in rear garden to crown raise to 4mT2 x T3 Silver Birch to remove an | Approved |
| LA/26/0812 Cromer Town | Installation of replacement first windows and ground floor French doors | Approved |
| PF/26/0715 Cromer Town | External alterations to rear conservatory and rear entrance lobby. | Approved |
| PF/26/0708 Coastal | Erection of detached garden outbuilding | Approved |
| PF/26/0443 Bacton | Demolition of existing attached outbuilding and erection of single storey extens | Approved |
| PF/24/2458 Stody | Alterations to public house to reduce bar area and add 4 guest bedrooms, demolit | Approved |
| TW/26/1084 Worstead | To remove a small multi-stem garden tree located along the rear boundary of the | Approved |
| EF/26/0935 Gresham | Lawful Development Certificate for proposed erection of single storey rear exten | 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 2,219 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 2,219 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 2,219 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in North Norfolk is 94.7%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.3%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 2,219 planning decisions from North Norfolk council. 2,101 were approved and 118 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in North Norfolk is 94.7%, 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.