Rhondda Cynon Taf planning approval rate
Rhondda Cynon Taf council approved 92.9% of planning applications and refused 7.1%, based on 5,234 decisions analysed. Ranked 188th out of 300 councils for strictness.
Last updated: August 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to August 2026
92.9%
overall approval rate
5,234
Decisions analysed
4,861
Approved
373
Refused
72
Wards covered
Planning in Rhondda Cynon Taf? 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 Rhondda Cynon Taf. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.
90.9%
93.3%
98.6%
95.6%
91.0%
94.4%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Rhondda Cynon Taf, mined from 5,234 proposal descriptions.
90.4%
95.6%
95.6%
97.3%
93.8%
88.1%
93.2%
74.3%
90.9%
92.5%
46.2%
87.8%
79.5%
100.0%
96.7%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Rhondda Cynon Taf. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
Llantrisant And Talbot Green
94.3%
Brynna And Llanharan
94.4%
Aberdare East
93.2%
Treorchy
94.9%
Tonyrefail East
95.3%
Aberdare West And Llwydcoed
92.0%
Hirwaun, Penderyn And Rhigos
91.2%
Llantwit Fardre
95.6%
Pontypridd Town
94.8%
Tonyrefail West
91.9%
Graig And Pontypridd West
93.4%
Aberaman
90.9%
Pontyclun West
93.4%
Taff's Well
90.8%
Abercynon
91.5%
Ferndale And Maerdy
92.2%
Tonypandy
90.2%
Tylorstown And Ynyshir
89.2%
Cwmbach
98.2%
Treherbert
89.0%
Wards in Rhondda Cynon Taf
Llantrisant And Talbot Green
94.3% approval · 227 decisions
Brynna And Llanharan
94.4% approval · 215 decisions
Aberdare East
93.2% approval · 205 decisions
Treorchy
94.9% approval · 175 decisions
Tonyrefail East
95.3% approval · 170 decisions
Aberdare West And Llwydcoed
92.0% approval · 163 decisions
Hirwaun, Penderyn And Rhigos
91.2% approval · 159 decisions
Llantwit Fardre
95.6% approval · 136 decisions
Pontypridd Town
94.8% approval · 134 decisions
Tonyrefail West
91.9% approval · 123 decisions
Graig And Pontypridd West
93.4% approval · 122 decisions
Aberaman
90.9% approval · 121 decisions
Pontyclun West
93.4% approval · 121 decisions
Taff's Well
90.8% approval · 119 decisions
Abercynon
91.5% approval · 117 decisions
Ferndale And Maerdy
92.2% approval · 115 decisions
Tonypandy
90.2% approval · 112 decisions
Tylorstown And Ynyshir
89.2% approval · 111 decisions
Cwmbach
98.2% approval · 110 decisions
Treherbert
89.0% approval · 109 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in Rhondda Cynon Taf, showing how the council decides real applications.
Proposed rear single storey extension. · Cwmbach · Fri 07 Aug 2026
Proposed Front Porch. · Ystrad · Thu 06 Aug 2026
Proposed extension above existing kitchen and utility room to form a bedroom and · Ferndale And Maerdy · Thu 06 Aug 2026
Showing 3 recent comparable decisions. See more in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In Rhondda Cynon Taf, 1 in 14 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 Rhondda Cynon Taf
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for Rhondda Cynon Taf →
✓ Common refusal reasons in Rhondda Cynon Taf
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free. Based on 5,234 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in Rhondda Cynon Taf
What is the planning approval rate in Rhondda Cynon Taf?
Based on 5,234 planning decisions analysed since 2020, Rhondda Cynon Taf approved 92.9% of applications and refused 7.1%. The council is ranked 188th out of 300 UK councils for approval rate.
How many planning applications are refused in Rhondda Cynon Taf?
Rhondda Cynon Taf refuses 7.1% of planning applications, roughly 1 in 14. That is lower than the UK average of 11.4%. Out of 5,234 decided applications since 2020, 373 were refused. PlanningLens lets you check any postcode to see which applications were refused near a specific property.
Which areas of Rhondda Cynon Taf have the highest planning approval rates?
The highest approval rates in Rhondda Cynon Taf are in Cilfynydd (100.0%), Upper Rhydfelen And Glyn-taf (100.0%), and Church Village (99.1%). Approval rates vary significantly by ward, see the full ward breakdown above.
What types of planning application are most common in Rhondda Cynon Taf?
The most common planning application types in Rhondda Cynon Taf are: Full (3,040 decisions, 90.9% approved), Other (895, 93.3%), and Discharge of Conditions (847, 98.6%).
How long does a planning application take in Rhondda Cynon Taf?
Planning applications in Rhondda Cynon Taf take an average of 10.1 weeks to reach a decision, measured across 5,190 decisions with a recorded timeline. That is slower than the 8-week statutory target for householder applications (the statutory targets are 8 weeks for householder applications and 13 weeks for major developments). PlanningLens measures the actual time each application takes, not just the target. Rhondda Cynon Taf decides approximately 872 planning applications per year.
How do I check planning applications in Rhondda Cynon Taf?
You can search planning applications in Rhondda Cynon Taf directly on the council's official planning portal. PlanningLens also lets you check any postcode against 5,234 historical decisions in Rhondda Cynon Taf to see what's been approved and refused near a specific property.
How is PlanningLens approval rate data for Rhondda Cynon Taf calculated?
PlanningLens scrapes Rhondda Cynon Taf'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.