Which ward in Plymouth has the highest planning approval rate?

PLYMPTON ERLE at 96.2% based on 293 decisions.

Which ward in Plymouth has the lowest planning approval rate?

EFFORD AND LIPSON at 87.2% based on 211 decisions.

How much do planning approval rates vary across Plymouth?

There is a 9.0% 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 9.0% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

4,579 real decisions·20 wards·Updated September 2026

92.0% approved overall. But 364 applications refused since 2020. Where you live in Plymouth shifts your odds by up to 9.0%. 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	293	282	11	96.2%
2	ST PETER AND THE WATERFRONT	1,093	1,043	50	95.4%
3	PLYMSTOCK DUNSTONE	408	388	20	95.1%
4	PLYMPTON CHADDLEWOOD	144	137	7	95.1%
5	STOKE	427	404	23	94.6%
6	MOORVIEW	471	444	27	94.3%
7	PEVERELL	372	350	22	94.1%
8	DRAKE	314	295	19	93.9%
9	HAM	150	140	10	93.3%
10	SUTTON AND MOUNT GOULD	280	260	20	92.9%
11	PLYMPTON ST MARY	402	373	29	92.8%
12	BUDSHEAD	362	336	26	92.8%
13	DEVONPORT	284	261	23	91.9%
14	PLYMSTOCK RADFORD	572	525	47	91.8%
15	COMPTON	612	562	50	91.8%
16	EGGBUCKLAND	346	316	30	91.3%
17	SOUTHWAY	238	217	21	91.2%
18	HONICKNOWLE	191	173	18	90.6%
19	ST BUDEAUX	217	193	24	88.9%
20	EFFORD AND LIPSON	211	184	27	87.2%

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 9.0% gap separates the best and worst wards. PLYMPTON ERLE approves 96.2% of applications while EFFORD AND LIPSON approves just 87.2%. 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

364 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 3,840,000+ real decisions

More Plymouth planning data

Nearby councils ward breakdowns

Methodology: Covers 4,579 planning decisions in Plymouth, January 2020 to September 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 →