Which ward in Plymouth has the highest planning approval rate?

PLYMPTON ERLE at 96.2% based on 289 decisions.

Which ward in Plymouth has the lowest planning approval rate?

EFFORD AND LIPSON at 87.1% based on 209 decisions.

How much do planning approval rates vary across Plymouth?

There is a 9.1% gap between PLYMPTON ERLE and EFFORD AND LIPSON. Your postcode significantly affects outcomes.

Planning Approval Rates by Ward in Plymouth

Planning outcomes in Plymouth are highly localised. The gap between the most and least permissive wards is 9.1% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

7,239 real decisions·20 wards·Updated August 2026

93.1% approved overall. But 502 applications refused since 2020. Where you live in Plymouth shifts your odds by up to 9.1%. The council average doesn't tell you which side of that gap you're on.

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All 20 wards ranked

#	Ward	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	PLYMPTON ERLE	289	278	11	96.2%
2	ST PETER AND THE WATERFRONT	1,067	1,017	50	95.3%
3	PLYMPTON CHADDLEWOOD	140	133	7	95.0%
4	PLYMSTOCK DUNSTONE	390	370	20	94.9%
5	STOKE	420	397	23	94.5%
6	MOORVIEW	458	431	27	94.1%
7	PEVERELL	362	340	22	93.9%
8	DRAKE	306	287	19	93.8%
9	HAM	148	138	10	93.2%
10	PLYMPTON ST MARY	396	367	29	92.7%
11	BUDSHEAD	357	331	26	92.7%
12	SUTTON AND MOUNT GOULD	275	255	20	92.7%
13	PLYMSTOCK RADFORD	561	515	46	91.8%
14	DEVONPORT	281	258	23	91.8%
15	COMPTON	605	555	50	91.7%
16	SOUTHWAY	229	209	20	91.3%
17	EGGBUCKLAND	339	309	30	91.2%
18	HONICKNOWLE	189	171	18	90.5%
19	ST BUDEAUX	214	190	24	88.8%
20	EFFORD AND LIPSON	209	182	27	87.1%

See how this applies to your postcode →

These are council averages. Your property is specific.

An extension might sail through in PLYMPTON ERLE but face serious resistance in EFFORD AND LIPSON.
Check your postcode to see what actually happens near your address.

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What the data tells us

A 9.1% gap separates the best and worst wards. PLYMPTON ERLE approves 96.2% of applications while EFFORD AND LIPSON approves just 87.1%. 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

502 planning applications in Plymouth 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 Plymouth planning data

Nearby councils ward breakdowns

Methodology: Covers 7,239 planning decisions in Plymouth, January 2020 to August 2026. Approval rate = approved / (approved + refused). Pending, withdrawn and invalid excluded. Ward boundaries reflect current electoral divisions. Data from Plymouth Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →