Which ward in Oxford has the highest planning approval rate?

Holywell Ward at 99.0% based on 413 decisions.

Which ward in Oxford has the lowest planning approval rate?

Lye Valley Ward at 80.5% based on 190 decisions.

How much do planning approval rates vary across Oxford?

There is a 18.5% 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 18.5% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

6,203 real decisions·31 wards·Updated August 2026

All 31 wards ranked

#	Ward	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	Holywell Ward	413	409	4	99.0%
2	North Ward	243	239	4	98.4%
3	Walton Manor Ward	215	210	5	97.7%
4	Carfax And Jericho Ward	229	223	6	97.4%
5	St Margarets Ward	199	193	6	97.0%
6	Wolvercote Ward	280	271	9	96.8%
7	Northfield Brook Ward	54	52	2	96.3%
8	Summertown	213	205	8	96.2%
9	Carfax Ward	273	261	12	95.6%
10	St Marys Ward	216	204	12	94.4%
11	Summertown Ward	192	180	12	93.8%
12	Cutteslowe And Sunnymead Ward	112	105	7	93.8%
13	Osney And St. Thomas Ward	139	129	10	92.8%
14	Jericho And Osney Ward	208	190	18	91.3%
15	Hinksey Park	127	116	11	91.3%
16	Headington Ward	347	312	35	89.9%
17	Donnington Ward	95	85	10	89.5%
18	St Clement's Ward	226	201	25	88.9%
19	Headington Hill And Northway Ward	303	269	34	88.8%
20	Quarry And Risinghurst Ward	268	237	31	88.4%
21	Iffley Fields Ward	117	103	14	88.0%
22	Temple Cowley Ward	74	65	9	87.8%
23	Marston Ward	272	238	34	87.5%
24	Churchill Ward	180	157	23	87.2%
25	Littlemore Ward	186	162	24	87.1%
26	Rose Hill And Iffley Ward	198	172	26	86.9%
27	Barton And Sandhills Ward	105	91	14	86.7%
28	Cowley Ward	254	215	39	84.6%
29	Blackbird Leys Ward	110	91	19	82.7%
30	Cowley Marsh Ward	140	114	26	81.4%
31	Lye Valley Ward	190	153	37	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 18.5% gap separates the best and worst wards. Holywell Ward approves 99.0% 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

526 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 3,780,000+ real decisions

More Oxford planning data

Nearby councils ward breakdowns

Methodology: Covers 6,203 planning decisions in Oxford, January 2020 to August 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 →