Norwich Council approves 92.7% of planning applications, based on 8,572 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. Norwich sits 4.1 percentage points above the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 905 decided applications, Norwich Council approved 94.8% of planning applications in 2025. Across 8,572 decisions analysed since January 2020, the overall approval rate in Norwich is 92.7%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Norwich council planning portal records · Updated August 2026 · Quote freely with attribution
Enter your postcode for a free, personalised approval pattern report, based on your ward and application type.
Not all applications are treated equally. Extension types, listed building consent, and change of use applications each have very different success rates in Norwich.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | 3,386 | 263 | 3,649 | 92.8% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 1,197 | 80 | 1,277 | 93.7% |
| Trees | 777 | 96 | 873 | 89.0% |
| Listed Building | 819 | 24 | 843 | 97.2% |
| Other | 640 | 45 | 685 | 93.4% |
| Advertisement | 399 | 45 | 444 | 89.9% |
| Prior Approval | 267 | 24 | 291 | 91.8% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 233 | 23 | 256 | 91.0% |
| Change of Use | 227 | 27 | 254 | 89.4% |
A loft conversion in one ward can have a 90% approval rate. In the next ward, 55%. The free check tells you which side you're on, your free property report is emailed in minutes.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mancroft | 1,589 | 112 | 1,701 | 93.4% |
| Thorpe Hamlet | 1,077 | 94 | 1,171 | 92.0% |
| Eaton | 1,053 | 84 | 1,137 | 92.6% |
| Town Close | 703 | 56 | 759 | 92.6% |
| Nelson | 619 | 34 | 653 | 94.8% |
| Catton Grove | 551 | 50 | 601 | 91.7% |
| Lakenham | 534 | 27 | 561 | 95.2% |
| University | 476 | 54 | 530 | 89.8% |
| Wensum | 318 | 35 | 353 | 90.1% |
| Mile Cross | 293 | 23 | 316 | 92.7% |
| Sewell | 286 | 21 | 307 | 93.2% |
| Crome | 242 | 19 | 261 | 92.7% |
| Bowthorpe | 181 | 16 | 197 | 91.9% |
| Not Applicable | 20 | 2 | 22 | 90.9% |
How Norwich’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, up 1.3pp since 2018.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from Norwich council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| 26/00589/L Mancroft | Replacement of membrane to flat roof, including repairs to structural deck as re | Approved |
| 26/00578/F University | New landscaping and replacement water membrane works to the Chemistry Registry g | Approved |
| 26/00579/L University | New landscaping and replacement water membrane works to the Chemistry Registry g | Approved |
| 26/00576/F University | Rear loft conversion including flat roof dormer, rear single storey infill, remo | Approved |
| 26/00570/F Eaton | Single storey front extension | Approved |
| 26/00533/L Thorpe Hamlet | Replacement tower roof. | Approved |
| 26/00548/L Town Close | Replacement of existing rotten timber cellar window and remedial structural repa | Approved |
| 25/01422/L Thorpe Hamlet | Change of use from offices to 1no. dwelling including installation of a new wind | Approved |
| 25/01421/F Thorpe Hamlet | Change of use from offices to 1no. dwelling including installation of a new wind | Approved |
| 25/01443/PA Mancroft | Change of use of the first and second floor from commercial use to 5no. dwelling | Approved |
Find out what actually gets approved near your address first. Your free property report analyses the 20 nearest decisions to your property, ward-specific refusal patterns, and extension-by-extension approval patterns. Based on Norwich's 8,572 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare Norwich's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
Dig deeper into Norwich'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 Norwich. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 8,572 real decisions from Norwich 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 Norwich'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 8,572 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Norwich is 92.7%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 8,572 planning decisions from Norwich council. 7,945 were approved and 627 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in Norwich is 92.7%, 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 Norwich? 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.