Which ward in North Somerset has the highest planning approval rate?

Portishead South at 94.6% based on 335 decisions.

Which ward in North Somerset has the lowest planning approval rate?

Weston-super-Mare Central at 85.2% based on 786 decisions.

How much do planning approval rates vary across North Somerset?

There is a 9.4% gap between Portishead South and Weston-super-Mare Central. Your postcode significantly affects outcomes.

Planning Approval Rates by Ward in North Somerset

Planning outcomes in North Somerset are highly localised. The gap between the most and least permissive wards is 9.4% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

12,218 real decisions·35 wards·Updated September 2026

All 35 wards ranked

#	Ward	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	Portishead South	335	317	18	94.6%
2	Portishead East	254	238	16	93.7%
3	Clevedon West	294	275	19	93.5%
4	Long Ashton	1,785	1,665	120	93.3%
5	Clevedon Walton	763	712	51	93.3%
6	Clevedon South	180	167	13	92.8%
7	Backwell	674	625	49	92.7%
8	Weston-super-Mare Winterstoke	206	191	15	92.7%
9	Weston-super-Mare North Worle	245	227	18	92.7%
10	Weston-super-Mare Uphill	607	560	47	92.3%
11	Weston-super-Mare South Worle	248	229	19	92.3%
12	Wrington	942	867	75	92.0%
13	Weston-super-Mare Hillside	1,059	973	86	91.9%
14	Hutton And Locking	808	739	69	91.5%
15	Portishead West	793	724	69	91.3%
16	Portishead North	599	546	53	91.2%
17	Nailsea West End	375	342	33	91.2%
18	Wick St Lawrence And St Georges	181	164	17	90.6%
19	Blagdon And Churchill	876	793	83	90.5%
20	Banwell And Winscombe	1,422	1,284	138	90.3%
21	Clevedon Yeo	144	130	14	90.3%
22	Yatton	884	789	95	89.3%
23	Weston-super-Mare South Ward	243	217	26	89.3%
24	Weston-super-Mare Milton	328	292	36	89.0%
25	Weston-super-Mare Mid Worle	99	88	11	88.9%
26	Clevedon East	415	368	47	88.7%
27	Nailsea Golden Valley	319	280	39	87.8%
28	Weston-super-Mare Kewstoke	578	504	74	87.2%
29	Nailsea Youngwood	188	163	25	86.7%
30	Pill	513	445	68	86.7%
31	Congresbury And Puxton	659	570	89	86.5%
32	Gordano Valley	904	778	126	86.1%
33	Nailsea Yeo	373	320	53	85.8%
34	Winford	865	740	125	85.5%
35	Weston-super-Mare Central	786	670	116	85.2%

See how this applies to your postcode →

These are council averages. Your property is specific.

An extension might sail through in Portishead South but face serious resistance in Weston-super-Mare Central.
Check your postcode to see what actually happens near your address.

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What the data tells us

A 9.4% gap separates the best and worst wards. Portishead South approves 94.6% of applications while Weston-super-Mare Central approves just 85.2%. That's a fundamentally different planning environment.

High volume doesn't mean high approval. Some of the busiest wards aren't the most permissive. The number of applications a ward processes tells you nothing about how likely yours is to succeed.

Ward averages are a starting point, not a guarantee. Your specific outcome depends on your property, your neighbours, your proposal type and the comparable decisions near your address.

Before you spend £5,000+ on architects and drawings

1,384 planning applications in North Somerset have been refused since 2020. Many of those homeowners had already paid for drawings and application fees. A free, property-specific report shows you what gets approved — and what gets refused — near your property.

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More North Somerset planning data

Nearby councils ward breakdowns

Methodology: Covers 12,218 planning decisions in North Somerset, January 2020 to September 2026. Approval rate = approved / (approved + refused). Pending, withdrawn and invalid excluded. Ward boundaries reflect current electoral divisions. Data from North Somerset Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →