Norwich planning approval rate
Norwich council approved 92.6% of planning applications and refused 7.4%, based on 8,461 decisions analysed. Ranked 176th out of 284 councils for strictness.
Last updated: June 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to present
92.6%
overall approval rate
8,461
Decisions analysed
7,836
Approved
625
Refused
14
Wards covered
Planning in Norwich? Check your postcode to see approval rates specific to your ward and street.
Approval rate by application type
Different application types have different approval rates in Norwich. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.
92.7%
93.7%
88.9%
97.1%
93.3%
89.8%
91.6%
89.3%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Norwich, mined from 8,461 proposal descriptions.
95.9%
89.6%
95.8%
90.3%
94.1%
95.9%
95.8%
98.2%
95.1%
96.3%
78.0%
87.5%
92.0%
53.2%
71.9%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Norwich. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
Mancroft
93.3%
Thorpe Hamlet
92.0%
Eaton
92.5%
Town Close
92.5%
Nelson
94.8%
Catton Grove
91.6%
Lakenham
95.1%
University
89.6%
Wensum
90.0%
Sewell
93.4%
Mile Cross
92.4%
Crome
92.6%
Bowthorpe
91.8%
Not Applicable
90.9%
Wards in Norwich
Mancroft
93.3% approval · 1,675 decisions
Thorpe Hamlet
92.0% approval · 1,162 decisions
Eaton
92.5% approval · 1,126 decisions
Town Close
92.5% approval · 751 decisions
Nelson
94.8% approval · 650 decisions
Catton Grove
91.6% approval · 597 decisions
Lakenham
95.1% approval · 549 decisions
University
89.6% approval · 518 decisions
Wensum
90.0% approval · 349 decisions
Sewell
93.4% approval · 305 decisions
Mile Cross
92.4% approval · 302 decisions
Crome
92.6% approval · 257 decisions
Bowthorpe
91.8% approval · 195 decisions
Not Applicable
90.9% approval · 22 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in Norwich, showing how the council decides real applications.
Replace existing single glazed sash window in lounge with a like-for-like wooden · Lakenham · Fri 19 Jun 2026
Change of use from 1no. existing dwelling to 2no. dwellings with associated inte · Mancroft · Fri 19 Jun 2026
Change of use from 1no. existing dwelling to 2no. dwellings with associated inte · Mancroft · Fri 19 Jun 2026
Showing 3 of 200 comparable decisions. See all 200 in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In Norwich, 1 in 14 applications are refused. Your PlanningLens Full Planning Analysis gives you 17 pages of intelligence specific to your property:
✓ Ward-level approval rates for your exact area
✓ Common refusal reasons in Norwich
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for Norwich →
✓ Common refusal reasons in Norwich
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free. Based on 8,461 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in Norwich
What is the planning approval rate in Norwich?
Based on 8,461 planning decisions analysed since 2020, Norwich approved 92.6% of applications and refused 7.4%. The council is ranked 176th out of 284 UK councils for approval rate.
How many planning applications are refused in Norwich?
Norwich refuses 7.4% of planning applications, roughly 1 in 14. That is lower than the UK average of 11.7%. Out of 8,461 decided applications since 2020, 625 were refused. PlanningLens lets you check any postcode to see which applications were refused near a specific property.
Which areas of Norwich have the highest planning approval rates?
The highest approval rates in Norwich are in Lakenham (95.1%), Nelson (94.8%), and Sewell (93.4%). Approval rates vary significantly by ward, see the full ward breakdown above.
What types of planning application are most common in Norwich?
The most common planning application types in Norwich are: Full (3,608 decisions, 92.7% approved), Discharge of Conditions (1,269, 93.7%), and Trees (857, 88.9%).
How long does a planning application take in Norwich?
Planning applications in Norwich take an average of 10.4 weeks to reach a decision, measured across 8,402 decisions with a recorded timeline. That is slower than the 8-week statutory target for householder applications (the statutory targets are 8 weeks for householder applications and 13 weeks for major developments). PlanningLens measures the actual time each application takes, not just the target. Norwich decides approximately 1,410 planning applications per year.
How do I check planning applications in Norwich?
You can search planning applications in Norwich directly on the council's official planning portal. PlanningLens also lets you check any postcode against 8,461 historical decisions in Norwich to see what's been approved and refused near a specific property.
How is PlanningLens approval rate data for Norwich calculated?
PlanningLens scrapes Norwich's official planning portal and analyses every published decision since January 2020. The approval rate is calculated as approved decisions divided by total decided applications, excluding withdrawn and pending applications. The full methodology, data sourcing, and Creative Commons BY 4.0 licensing terms are published at planninglens.co.uk/methodology.