Which ward in Oxford has the highest planning approval rate?

Holywell Ward at 99.1% based on 435 decisions.

Which ward in Oxford has the lowest planning approval rate?

Lye Valley Ward at 80.5% based on 200 decisions.

How much do planning approval rates vary across Oxford?

There is a 18.6% gap between Holywell Ward and Lye Valley Ward. Your postcode significantly affects outcomes.

Planning Approval Rates by Ward in Oxford

Planning outcomes in Oxford are highly localised. The gap between the most and least permissive wards is 18.6% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

3,573 real decisions·31 wards·Updated September 2026

All 31 wards ranked

#	Ward	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	Holywell Ward	435	431	4	99.1%
2	North Ward	243	239	4	98.4%
3	Walton Manor Ward	249	244	5	98.0%
4	Carfax And Jericho Ward	257	250	7	97.3%
5	St Margarets Ward	199	193	6	97.0%
6	Northfield Brook Ward	61	59	2	96.7%
7	Wolvercote Ward	295	284	11	96.3%
8	Summertown	249	239	10	96.0%
9	Carfax Ward	273	261	12	95.6%
10	St Marys Ward	232	219	13	94.4%
11	Cutteslowe And Sunnymead Ward	126	119	7	94.4%
12	Summertown Ward	192	180	12	93.8%
13	Osney And St. Thomas Ward	151	138	13	91.4%
14	Jericho And Osney Ward	208	190	18	91.3%
15	Hinksey Park	138	125	13	90.6%
16	Headington Ward	357	320	37	89.6%
17	St Clement's Ward	240	215	25	89.6%
18	Headington Hill And Northway Ward	326	291	35	89.3%
19	Donnington Ward	109	97	12	89.0%
20	Quarry And Risinghurst Ward	280	248	32	88.6%
21	Iffley Fields Ward	117	103	14	88.0%
22	Littlemore Ward	196	172	24	87.8%
23	Marston Ward	284	249	35	87.7%
24	Rose Hill And Iffley Ward	212	186	26	87.7%
25	Temple Cowley Ward	83	72	11	86.7%
26	Churchill Ward	186	161	25	86.6%
27	Barton And Sandhills Ward	112	97	15	86.6%
28	Cowley Ward	265	222	43	83.8%
29	Blackbird Leys Ward	120	99	21	82.5%
30	Cowley Marsh Ward	140	114	26	81.4%
31	Lye Valley Ward	200	161	39	80.5%

See how this applies to your postcode →

These are council averages. Your property is specific.

An extension might sail through in Holywell Ward but face serious resistance in Lye Valley Ward.
Check your postcode to see what actually happens near your address.

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What the data tells us

A 18.6% gap separates the best and worst wards. Holywell Ward approves 99.1% of applications while Lye Valley Ward approves just 80.5%. 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

445 planning applications in Oxford 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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Free · Property report emailed in minutes · Based on 3,840,000+ real decisions

More Oxford planning data

Nearby councils ward breakdowns

Methodology: Covers 3,573 planning decisions in Oxford, January 2020 to September 2026. Approval rate = approved / (approved + refused). Pending, withdrawn and invalid excluded. Ward boundaries reflect current electoral divisions. Data from Oxford Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →