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

Portishead South at 94.6% based on 331 decisions.

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

Weston-super-Mare Central at 85.1% based on 777 decisions.

How much do planning approval rates vary across North Somerset?

There is a 9.5% 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 9.5% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

20,178 real decisions·35 wards·Updated August 2026

All 35 wards ranked

#	Ward	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	Portishead South	331	313	18	94.6%
2	Portishead East	253	237	16	93.7%
3	Clevedon Walton	751	702	49	93.5%
4	Clevedon West	290	271	19	93.4%
5	Long Ashton	1,772	1,653	119	93.3%
6	Clevedon South	180	167	13	92.8%
7	Weston-super-Mare Winterstoke	203	188	15	92.6%
8	Weston-super-Mare North Worle	243	225	18	92.6%
9	Backwell	656	607	49	92.5%
10	Weston-super-Mare South Worle	246	227	19	92.3%
11	Weston-super-Mare Uphill	603	556	47	92.2%
12	Wrington	929	854	75	91.9%
13	Weston-super-Mare Hillside	1,045	959	86	91.8%
14	Hutton And Locking	798	729	69	91.4%
15	Portishead West	783	715	68	91.3%
16	Portishead North	593	541	52	91.2%
17	Nailsea West End	372	339	33	91.1%
18	Wick St Lawrence And St Georges	180	163	17	90.6%
19	Blagdon And Churchill	867	785	82	90.5%
20	Banwell And Winscombe	1,405	1,269	136	90.3%
21	Clevedon Yeo	144	130	14	90.3%
22	Yatton	871	776	95	89.1%
23	Weston-super-Mare South Ward	238	212	26	89.1%
24	Weston-super-Mare Mid Worle	99	88	11	88.9%
25	Weston-super-Mare Milton	322	286	36	88.8%
26	Clevedon East	409	362	47	88.5%
27	Nailsea Golden Valley	315	276	39	87.6%
28	Weston-super-Mare Kewstoke	574	500	74	87.1%
29	Pill	508	441	67	86.8%
30	Nailsea Youngwood	186	161	25	86.6%
31	Congresbury And Puxton	650	561	89	86.3%
32	Gordano Valley	893	768	125	86.0%
33	Winford	854	732	122	85.7%
34	Nailsea Yeo	369	316	53	85.6%
35	Weston-super-Mare Central	777	661	116	85.1%

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 9.5% gap separates the best and worst wards. Portishead South approves 94.6% of applications while Weston-super-Mare Central approves just 85.1%. 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

1,956 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 20,178 planning decisions in North Somerset, January 2020 to August 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 →