Which ward in Plymouth has the highest planning approval rate?

PLYMPTON ERLE at 96.1% based on 283 decisions.

Which ward in Plymouth has the lowest planning approval rate?

EFFORD AND LIPSON at 86.6% based on 202 decisions.

How much do planning approval rates vary across Plymouth?

There is a 9.5% 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 9.5% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

7,031 real decisions·20 wards·Updated June 2026

93.1% approved overall. But 488 applications refused since 2020. Where you live in Plymouth shifts your odds by up to 9.5%. 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	283	272	11	96.1%
2	ST PETER AND THE WATERFRONT	1,015	970	45	95.6%
3	PLYMPTON CHADDLEWOOD	134	128	6	95.5%
4	PLYMSTOCK DUNSTONE	381	361	20	94.8%
5	STOKE	410	387	23	94.4%
6	PEVERELL	353	332	21	94.1%
7	MOORVIEW	450	423	27	94.0%
8	DRAKE	295	276	19	93.6%
9	HAM	144	134	10	93.1%
10	BUDSHEAD	352	326	26	92.6%
11	SUTTON AND MOUNT GOULD	271	251	20	92.6%
12	PLYMPTON ST MARY	382	353	29	92.4%
13	DEVONPORT	273	252	21	92.3%
14	PLYMSTOCK RADFORD	547	503	44	92.0%
15	SOUTHWAY	221	203	18	91.9%
16	COMPTON	589	539	50	91.5%
17	EGGBUCKLAND	330	300	30	90.9%
18	HONICKNOWLE	185	168	17	90.8%
19	ST BUDEAUX	210	186	24	88.6%
20	EFFORD AND LIPSON	202	175	27	86.6%

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 9.5% gap separates the best and worst wards. PLYMPTON ERLE approves 96.1% of applications while EFFORD AND LIPSON approves just 86.6%. 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

488 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 3,290,000+ real decisions

More Plymouth planning data

Nearby councils ward breakdowns

Methodology: Covers 7,031 planning decisions in Plymouth, January 2020 to present. 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 →