Pembrokeshire planning approval rate
Pembrokeshire council approved 85.1% of planning applications and refused 14.9%, based on 29,470 decisions analysed. Ranked 50th out of 292 councils for strictness.
Last updated: August 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to August 2026
85.1%
overall approval rate
29,470
Decisions analysed
25,088
Approved
4,382
Refused
158
Wards covered
Planning in Pembrokeshire? Check your postcode to see approval rates specific to your ward and street.
Approval rate by application type
Different application types have different approval rates in Pembrokeshire. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.
88.8%
82.8%
33.9%
92.0%
96.2%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Pembrokeshire, mined from 29,470 proposal descriptions.
92.0%
87.4%
76.0%
86.9%
94.3%
92.9%
87.0%
84.8%
95.9%
89.3%
87.8%
82.1%
82.4%
87.5%
84.6%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Pembrokeshire. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
Maenclochog
77.6%
Wiston
84.8%
Camrose
88.0%
Narberth Rural
84.3%
Martletwy
80.0%
Letterston
86.3%
Lampeter Velfrey
80.5%
Llangwm
79.8%
Kilgetty/Begelly
83.2%
Johnston
85.8%
East Williamston
81.0%
Haverfordwest: Castle
93.0%
Crymych
85.0%
Burton
83.1%
Cilgerran
84.4%
Hundleton
82.3%
Rudbaxton
87.3%
Clydau
78.7%
St Dogmaels
84.0%
Lamphey
81.4%
Wards in Pembrokeshire
Maenclochog
77.6% approval · 835 decisions
Wiston
84.8% approval · 619 decisions
Camrose
88.0% approval · 610 decisions
Narberth Rural
84.3% approval · 593 decisions
Martletwy
80.0% approval · 569 decisions
Letterston
86.3% approval · 561 decisions
Lampeter Velfrey
80.5% approval · 523 decisions
Llangwm
79.8% approval · 510 decisions
Kilgetty/Begelly
83.2% approval · 481 decisions
Johnston
85.8% approval · 479 decisions
East Williamston
81.0% approval · 474 decisions
Haverfordwest: Castle
93.0% approval · 474 decisions
Crymych
85.0% approval · 474 decisions
Burton
83.1% approval · 461 decisions
Cilgerran
84.4% approval · 450 decisions
Hundleton
82.3% approval · 436 decisions
Rudbaxton
87.3% approval · 434 decisions
Clydau
78.7% approval · 428 decisions
St Dogmaels
84.0% approval · 426 decisions
Lamphey
81.4% approval · 415 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in Pembrokeshire, showing how the council decides real applications.
1x Fasica sign to be displayed on front of building. 1x hanging sign to be displ · Pembroke Dock Central · 2026-08-20
Formation of 2 residential flats. · Pembroke Monkton And St Mary South · 2026-08-20
Erect a Conservatory to the Side of No2 Tudor Close. · Pembroke Monkton And St Mary South · 2026-08-20
Showing 3 recent comparable decisions. See more in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In Pembrokeshire, 1 in 7 applications are refused. Your PlanningLens Full Planning Analysis gives you 17 pages of intelligence specific to your property:
✓ Ward-level approval rates for your exact area
✓ Common refusal reasons in Pembrokeshire
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for Pembrokeshire →
✓ Common refusal reasons in Pembrokeshire
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free. Based on 29,470 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in Pembrokeshire
What is the planning approval rate in Pembrokeshire?
Based on 29,470 planning decisions analysed since 2020, Pembrokeshire approved 85.1% of applications and refused 14.9%. The council is ranked 50th out of 292 UK councils for approval rate.
How many planning applications are refused in Pembrokeshire?
Pembrokeshire refuses 14.9% of planning applications, roughly 1 in 7. That is higher than the UK average of 11.4%. Out of 29,470 decided applications since 2020, 4,382 were refused. PlanningLens lets you check any postcode to see which applications were refused near a specific property.
Which areas of Pembrokeshire have the highest planning approval rates?
The highest approval rates in Pembrokeshire are in Haverfordwest: Portfield (93.4%), Haverfordwest: Castle (93.0%), and Narberth Urban (90.9%). Approval rates vary significantly by ward, see the full ward breakdown above.
What types of planning application are most common in Pembrokeshire?
The most common planning application types in Pembrokeshire are: Full (19,625 decisions, 88.8% approved), Other (7,427, 82.8%), and Discharge of Conditions (1,256, 33.9%).
How long does a planning application take in Pembrokeshire?
Most planning applications in Pembrokeshire are decided within 8 weeks for householder applications and 13 weeks for major developments, the statutory targets set by central government. With 29,470 decisions analysed since 2020, Pembrokeshire processes approximately 4,912 planning applications per year.
How do I check planning applications in Pembrokeshire?
You can search planning applications in Pembrokeshire directly on the council's official planning portal. PlanningLens also lets you check any postcode against 29,470 historical decisions in Pembrokeshire to see what's been approved and refused near a specific property.
How is PlanningLens approval rate data for Pembrokeshire calculated?
PlanningLens scrapes Pembrokeshire's official planning portal and analyses every published decision since January 2020. The approval rate is calculated as approved decisions divided by total decided applications, excluding withdrawn and pending applications. The full methodology, data sourcing, and Creative Commons BY 4.0 licensing terms are published at planninglens.co.uk/methodology.