Oxford Council approves 91.4% of planning applications, based on 5,623 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.3%. Oxford sits 3.1 percentage points above the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 5,623 decided applications published since January 2020, Oxford Council approved 91.4% of planning applications. The national average approval rate across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.3%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Oxford council planning portal records · Updated June 2026 · Quote freely with attribution
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Not all applications are treated equally. Extension types, listed building consent, and change of use applications each have very different success rates in Oxford.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | 2,136 | 306 | 2,442 | 87.5% |
| Trees | 1,174 | 6 | 1,180 | 99.5% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 773 | 18 | 791 | 97.7% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 475 | 105 | 580 | 81.9% |
| Other | 220 | 26 | 246 | 89.4% |
| Listed Building | 239 | 5 | 244 | 98.0% |
| Advertisement | 98 | 13 | 111 | 88.3% |
| Prior Approval | 11 | 4 | 15 | 73.3% |
| Change of Use | 12 | 2 | 14 | 85.7% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holywell | 360 | 4 | 364 | 98.9% |
| Summertown | 335 | 17 | 352 | 95.2% |
| Headington | 280 | 34 | 314 | 89.2% |
| Carfax | 261 | 12 | 273 | 95.6% |
| Headington Hill And Northway | 233 | 33 | 266 | 87.6% |
| Wolvercote | 253 | 9 | 262 | 96.6% |
| Marston | 221 | 33 | 254 | 87.0% |
| North | 239 | 4 | 243 | 98.4% |
| Quarry And Risinghurst | 218 | 25 | 243 | 89.7% |
| Cowley | 203 | 34 | 237 | 85.7% |
| Jericho And Osney | 190 | 18 | 208 | 91.3% |
| St Clement's | 184 | 22 | 206 | 89.3% |
| St Margarets | 193 | 6 | 199 | 97.0% |
| St Marys | 186 | 12 | 198 | 93.9% |
| Lye Valley | 148 | 36 | 184 | 80.4% |
| Rose Hill And Iffley | 158 | 26 | 184 | 85.9% |
| Carfax And Jericho | 170 | 4 | 174 | 97.7% |
| Littlemore | 148 | 24 | 172 | 86.0% |
| Churchill | 142 | 19 | 161 | 88.2% |
| Walton Manor | 153 | 4 | 157 | 97.5% |
| Cowley Marsh | 114 | 26 | 140 | 81.4% |
| Iffley Fields | 103 | 14 | 117 | 88.0% |
| Hinksey Park | 104 | 10 | 114 | 91.2% |
| Osney And St. Thomas | 102 | 7 | 109 | 93.6% |
| Blackbird Leys | 84 | 18 | 102 | 82.4% |
Showing top 25 of 30 wards by volume. Your free property report includes the full ward breakdown.
See full ward breakdown →How Oxford’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, down 3.7pp since 2020.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from Oxford council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| 26/01168/CPU Osney And St. Thomas | Application to certify that the proposed development to the existing dwellinghou | Refused |
| 26/01026/CPU Headington Hill And Northway | Application to certify that the proposed alterations to roof to form hip to gabl | Refused |
| 26/00829/LBC Churchill | Installation of fire curtain and replacement of 1no. fire escape stair with a ne | Approved |
| 26/00569/FUL Summertown | Erection of a two and a half storey side and a single storey rear extension to t | Refused |
| 26/00504/LBC St Clement's | Alterations to existing extension roof and associated works. | Approved |
| 26/00254/LBC Holywell | Removal of modern kitchen fittings on the upper ground floor and making good to | Approved |
| 26/00017/FUL Blackbird Leys | Erection of a single storey building to provide office space (Use Class E(g)(i)) | Approved |
| 25/03239/CEU Headington | Application to certify that the existing House in Multiple Occupation (Use Class | Refused |
| 26/01075/FUL Temple Cowley | Erection of single storey rear extension. | Approved |
| 26/01078/FUL Quarry And Risinghurst | Demolition of existing covered entrance area, store and conservatory. Erection o | 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 Oxford's 5,623 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare Oxford's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
Dig deeper into Oxford'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 Oxford. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 5,623 real decisions from Oxford 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 Oxford'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 5,623 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Oxford is 91.4%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.3%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 5,623 planning decisions from Oxford council. 5,138 were approved and 485 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in Oxford is 91.4%, 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 Oxford? 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.