Which ward in Oxford has the highest planning approval rate?

Holywell Ward at 98.9% based on 364 decisions.

Which ward in Oxford has the lowest planning approval rate?

Lye Valley Ward at 80.4% based on 184 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.

5,623 real decisions·31 wards·Updated June 2026

All 31 wards ranked

#	Ward	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	Holywell Ward	364	360	4	98.9%
2	North Ward	243	239	4	98.4%
3	Carfax And Jericho Ward	174	170	4	97.7%
4	Walton Manor Ward	157	153	4	97.5%
5	St Margarets Ward	199	193	6	97.0%
6	Summertown	160	155	5	96.9%
7	Wolvercote Ward	262	253	9	96.6%
8	Northfield Brook Ward	46	44	2	95.7%
9	Carfax Ward	273	261	12	95.6%
10	Cutteslowe And Sunnymead Ward	88	84	4	95.5%
11	St Marys Ward	198	186	12	93.9%
12	Summertown Ward	192	180	12	93.8%
13	Osney And St. Thomas Ward	109	102	7	93.6%
14	Jericho And Osney Ward	208	190	18	91.3%
15	Hinksey Park	114	104	10	91.2%
16	Donnington Ward	78	71	7	91.0%
17	Quarry And Risinghurst Ward	243	218	25	89.7%
18	St Clement's Ward	206	184	22	89.3%
19	Headington Ward	314	280	34	89.2%
20	Churchill Ward	161	142	19	88.2%
21	Iffley Fields Ward	117	103	14	88.0%
22	Headington Hill And Northway Ward	266	233	33	87.6%
23	Marston Ward	254	221	33	87.0%
24	Temple Cowley Ward	54	47	7	87.0%
25	Littlemore Ward	172	148	24	86.0%
26	Barton And Sandhills Ward	100	86	14	86.0%
27	Rose Hill And Iffley Ward	184	158	26	85.9%
28	Cowley Ward	237	203	34	85.7%
29	Blackbird Leys Ward	102	84	18	82.4%
30	Cowley Marsh Ward	140	114	26	81.4%
31	Lye Valley Ward	184	148	36	80.4%

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.

Check My Postcode

What the data tells us

A 18.5% gap separates the best and worst wards. Holywell Ward approves 98.9% of applications while Lye Valley Ward approves just 80.4%. 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

485 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.

Check my postcode

Free · Property report emailed in minutes · Based on 3,290,000+ real decisions

More Oxford planning data

Nearby councils ward breakdowns

Methodology: Covers 5,623 planning decisions in Oxford, January 2020 to present. 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 →