North Somerset Council approves 88.7% of planning applications, based on 12,298 decisions from the council’s public planning portal. The national approval rate across the councils PlanningLens tracks is 87.43%. North Somerset is 1.3 percentage points above that rate.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 2,158 decided applications, North Somerset Council approved 87.9% of planning applications in 2025. Across 12,298 decisions on record (January 2018 to October 2026), the overall approval rate in North Somerset is 88.7%; the national approval rate across the councils PlanningLens tracks is 87.43%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of North Somerset council planning portal records · Data to 19 October 2026 · Quote freely with attribution
Enter your postcode to see approval patterns for your ward and application type.
This table counts every decided application in North Somerset, including types that the headline rate leaves out, so its totals are larger than the headline figure.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | 9,527 | 1,052 | 10,579 | 90.1% |
| Other | 2,791 | 471 | 3,262 | 85.6% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 2,112 | 55 | 2,167 | 97.5% |
| Trees | 2,020 | 0 | 2,020 | 100.0% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 811 | 146 | 957 | 84.7% |
| Listed Building | 632 | 49 | 681 | 92.8% |
| Prior Approval | 362 | 181 | 543 | 66.7% |
| Advertisement | 274 | 20 | 294 | 93.2% |
The free check shows approval patterns for your postcode. The property report follows by email.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long Ashton | 1,672 | 120 | 1,792 | 93.3% |
| Banwell And Winscombe | 1,293 | 139 | 1,432 | 90.3% |
| Weston-super-Mare Hillside | 978 | 86 | 1,064 | 91.9% |
| Wrington | 871 | 75 | 946 | 92.1% |
| Gordano Valley | 780 | 126 | 906 | 86.1% |
| Yatton | 791 | 95 | 886 | 89.3% |
| Blagdon And Churchill | 798 | 83 | 881 | 90.6% |
| Winford | 743 | 125 | 868 | 85.6% |
| Hutton And Locking | 743 | 69 | 812 | 91.5% |
| Portishead West | 729 | 69 | 798 | 91.4% |
| Weston-super-Mare Central | 671 | 116 | 787 | 85.3% |
| Clevedon Walton | 714 | 51 | 765 | 93.3% |
| Backwell | 626 | 49 | 675 | 92.7% |
| Congresbury And Puxton | 571 | 90 | 661 | 86.4% |
| Weston-super-Mare Uphill | 566 | 47 | 613 | 92.3% |
| Portishead North | 547 | 53 | 600 | 91.2% |
| Weston-super-Mare Kewstoke | 507 | 74 | 581 | 87.3% |
| Pill | 447 | 69 | 516 | 86.6% |
| Clevedon East | 371 | 48 | 419 | 88.5% |
| Nailsea West End | 342 | 34 | 376 | 91.0% |
| Nailsea Yeo | 321 | 53 | 374 | 85.8% |
| Portishead South | 319 | 18 | 337 | 94.7% |
| Weston-super-Mare Milton | 292 | 36 | 328 | 89.0% |
| Nailsea Golden Valley | 282 | 39 | 321 | 87.9% |
| Clevedon West | 277 | 19 | 296 | 93.6% |
Showing the 25 wards with the most decisions, of 36. The property report covers every ward.
See full ward breakdown →How North Somerset’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, up 3.6pp since 2018.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Each reference links to the record on the council’s planning portal.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| 26/P/1760/FUH Long Ashton | Proposed Loft conversion to include 2no. pitched front dormers, a rear flat roof | Approved |
| 26/P/1411/FUH Banwell And Winscombe | Proposed erection of single storey orangery extension to the South elevation fol | Approved |
| 26/P/0710/FUL Weston-super-Mare Uphill | Proposed change of use and sub-division of existing bungalow (C3) to form 3no. S | Approved |
| 26/P/1853/HHPA Portishead South | Application to determine if prior approval is required for the erection of a Sin | Approved |
| 26/P/1793/FUH Portishead West | Proposed replacement of existing uPVC windows with aluminium sliding doors and g | Approved |
| 26/P/1718/S73 Backwell | Section 73 application to remove conditions 3 and 4 (householder permitted devel | Approved |
| 26/P/1681/FUL Weston-super-Mare Kewstoke | Proposed erection of a 1No. 3-bed dwelling | Approved |
| 26/P/1635/LDP Banwell And Winscombe | Certification of Lawful Development for the conversion of existing loft, includi | Approved |
| 26/P/1603/ADV Weston-super-Mare South Worle | Erection of 2no. internally illuminated free-standing advertising displays (Pane | Approved |
| 26/P/1458/FUL Congresbury And Puxton | Proposed change of use of part of the former public house car park to low-intens | Refused |
See what has been approved and refused near your address. The property report covers the 20 nearest decisions, refusal patterns in your ward and approval rates by project type, drawn from North Somerset's 12,298 decisions.
Check my postcodeCompare North Somerset's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
Dig deeper into North Somerset'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 Somerset. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 12,298 real decisions from North Somerset 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 Somerset'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 12,298 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in North Somerset is 88.7%. The national approval rate across the councils PlanningLens tracks is 87.43%.
PlanningLens has analysed 12,298 planning decisions from North Somerset council. 10,910 were approved and 1,388 were refused. These figures cover every decision on record for the council, January 2018 to October 2026.
The average approval rate in North Somerset is 88.7%, 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 Somerset? 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.