North Norfolk Council approves 93.8% of planning applications, based on 1,444 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. North Norfolk sits 8.8 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 1,444 decisions on record (September 2024 to September 2026), the overall approval rate in North Norfolk is 93.8%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of North Norfolk council planning portal records · Data to 29 September 2026 · Quote freely with attribution
Enter your postcode for a free, personalised approval pattern report, based on your ward and application type.
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 | 1,166 | 76 | 1,242 | 93.9% |
| Trees | 873 | 33 | 906 | 96.4% |
| Other | 201 | 19 | 220 | 91.4% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 175 | 7 | 182 | 96.2% |
| Listed Building | 160 | 10 | 170 | 94.1% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 145 | 2 | 147 | 98.6% |
| Advertisement | 39 | 2 | 41 | 95.1% |
| 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 | 242 | 14 | 256 | 94.5% |
| Holt | 211 | 12 | 223 | 94.6% |
| Erpingham | 185 | 7 | 192 | 96.4% |
| Priory | 156 | 3 | 159 | 98.1% |
| Stody | 150 | 8 | 158 | 94.9% |
| Wells With Holkham | 142 | 8 | 150 | 94.7% |
| Beeston Regis & The Runtons | 113 | 4 | 117 | 96.6% |
| Walsingham | 112 | 1 | 113 | 99.1% |
| Poppyland | 109 | 4 | 113 | 96.5% |
| Roughton | 98 | 7 | 105 | 93.3% |
| Lancaster South | 93 | 6 | 99 | 93.9% |
| Hoveton & Tunstead | 91 | 4 | 95 | 95.8% |
| Cromer Town | 91 | 2 | 93 | 97.8% |
| Gresham | 89 | 3 | 92 | 96.7% |
| The Raynhams | 71 | 4 | 75 | 94.7% |
| Happisburgh | 68 | 7 | 75 | 90.7% |
| Sheringham North | 70 | 5 | 75 | 93.3% |
| Sheringham South | 65 | 2 | 67 | 97.0% |
| Stalham | 61 | 2 | 63 | 96.8% |
| Bacton | 56 | 4 | 60 | 93.3% |
| Mundesley | 54 | 6 | 60 | 90.0% |
| Suffield Park | 56 | 3 | 59 | 94.9% |
| Stibbard | 51 | 4 | 55 | 92.7% |
| North Walsham Market Cross | 49 | 1 | 50 | 98.0% |
| Trunch | 43 | 6 | 49 | 87.8% |
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 1.1pp 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 |
|---|---|---|
| LA/26/1523 North Walsham Market Cross | Internal and external works to facilitate change of use from former bank to 2no. | Approved |
| PF/26/1522 North Walsham Market Cross | Change of use from former bank to 2no. shop units on the ground floor and baseme | Approved |
| PF/26/0882 Wells With Holkham | Demolition of existing boat shed and erection of replacement metal boat shed | Approved |
| TW/26/1783 Beeston Regis & The Runtons | T1: Ash (Fraxinus excelsior)Height: 16 MetresLocation: front garden left sideAct | Approved |
| PF/26/1624 Sheringham South | Proposed Single storey rear extension, with internal alterations and changes to | Approved |
| PF/26/0498 Suffield Park | Replacement of existing rotten timber windows with timber and uPVC windows | Approved |
| TW/26/1963 Coastal | T1- Sycamore, removal of 6 lower lateral branches to raise canopy about boundary | Approved |
| TW/26/1723 Beeston Regis & The Runtons | T1 - Weeping Birch - Remove due to obstruction of parking area. Replant in neigh | Approved |
| TW/26/1671 North Walsham West | T1 - Beech, Reduce house side by 1.5m from 6m to 4.5m, including over drive and | Approved |
| PF/26/1460 North Walsham Market Cross | Erection of single storey front and rear extensions | 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 1,444 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 1,444 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 1,444 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in North Norfolk is 93.8%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 1,444 planning decisions from North Norfolk council. 1,355 were approved and 89 were refused. These figures cover every decision on record for the council, September 2024 to September 2026.
The average approval rate in North Norfolk is 93.8%, 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.