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

Portishead South at 94.6% based on 317 decisions.

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

Weston-super-Mare Central at 84.6% based on 754 decisions.

How much do planning approval rates vary across North Somerset?

There is a 10.0% 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 10.0% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

19,440 real decisions·35 wards·Updated June 2026

All 35 wards ranked

#	Ward	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	Portishead South	317	300	17	94.6%
2	Portishead East	247	232	15	93.9%
3	Clevedon Walton	723	676	47	93.5%
4	Clevedon West	275	257	18	93.5%
5	Long Ashton	1,709	1,595	114	93.3%
6	Weston-super-Mare North Worle	237	220	17	92.8%
7	Backwell	623	577	46	92.6%
8	Clevedon South	176	163	13	92.6%
9	Weston-super-Mare Winterstoke	198	183	15	92.4%
10	Weston-super-Mare Uphill	579	533	46	92.1%
11	Weston-super-Mare Hillside	1,004	923	81	91.9%
12	Wrington	893	819	74	91.7%
13	Weston-super-Mare South Worle	230	211	19	91.7%
14	Hutton And Locking	769	703	66	91.4%
15	Wick St Lawrence And St Georges	171	156	15	91.2%
16	Portishead North	576	525	51	91.1%
17	Nailsea West End	357	325	32	91.0%
18	Portishead West	751	683	68	90.9%
19	Blagdon And Churchill	832	753	79	90.5%
20	Banwell And Winscombe	1,371	1,238	133	90.3%
21	Clevedon Yeo	139	125	14	89.9%
22	Yatton	841	751	90	89.3%
23	Weston-super-Mare South Ward	228	203	25	89.0%
24	Weston-super-Mare Mid Worle	98	87	11	88.8%
25	Weston-super-Mare Milton	316	280	36	88.6%
26	Clevedon East	390	343	47	87.9%
27	Nailsea Golden Valley	309	270	39	87.4%
28	Weston-super-Mare Kewstoke	561	489	72	87.2%
29	Nailsea Youngwood	177	153	24	86.4%
30	Pill	485	419	66	86.4%
31	Gordano Valley	861	739	122	85.8%
32	Congresbury And Puxton	609	521	88	85.6%
33	Nailsea Yeo	355	303	52	85.4%
34	Winford	817	696	121	85.2%
35	Weston-super-Mare Central	754	638	116	84.6%

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 10.0% gap separates the best and worst wards. Portishead South approves 94.6% of applications while Weston-super-Mare Central approves just 84.6%. 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

1,907 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 19,440 planning decisions in North Somerset, January 2020 to present. 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 →