Rotherham planning approval rate
Rotherham council approved 92.7% of planning applications and refused 7.3%, based on 2,503 decisions analysed. Ranked 177th out of 284 councils for strictness.
Last updated: June 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to present
92.7%
overall approval rate
2,503
Decisions analysed
2,321
Approved
182
Refused
25
Wards covered
Planning in Rotherham? 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 Rotherham. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.
92.7%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Rotherham, mined from 2,503 proposal descriptions.
92.7%
94.4%
90.5%
90.1%
86.5%
97.4%
89.0%
98.8%
89.9%
92.3%
90.9%
80.0%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Rotherham. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
Boston Castle
91.4%
Sitwell
91.5%
Wales
91.5%
Hoober
91.2%
Keppel
95.9%
Anston & Woodsetts
90.3%
Dinnington
90.2%
Rother Vale
97.2%
Wath
91.5%
Rotherham East
89.1%
Aston & Todwick
88.5%
Rawmarsh East
97.9%
Bramley & Ravenfield
95.7%
Thurcroft & Wickersley South
89.1%
Hellaby & Maltby West
92.7%
Rotherham West
84.4%
Wickersley North
96.8%
Aughton & Swallownest
90.0%
Swinton Rockingham
86.2%
Brinsworth
95.8%
Wards in Rotherham
Boston Castle
91.4% approval · 269 decisions
Sitwell
91.5% approval · 177 decisions
Wales
91.5% approval · 142 decisions
Hoober
91.2% approval · 136 decisions
Keppel
95.9% approval · 122 decisions
Anston & Woodsetts
90.3% approval · 113 decisions
Dinnington
90.2% approval · 112 decisions
Rother Vale
97.2% approval · 109 decisions
Wath
91.5% approval · 106 decisions
Rotherham East
89.1% approval · 55 decisions
Aston & Todwick
88.5% approval · 52 decisions
Rawmarsh East
97.9% approval · 48 decisions
Bramley & Ravenfield
95.7% approval · 46 decisions
Thurcroft & Wickersley South
89.1% approval · 46 decisions
Hellaby & Maltby West
92.7% approval · 41 decisions
Rotherham West
84.4% approval · 32 decisions
Wickersley North
96.8% approval · 31 decisions
Aughton & Swallownest
90.0% approval · 30 decisions
Swinton Rockingham
86.2% approval · 29 decisions
Brinsworth
95.8% approval · 24 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in Rotherham, showing how the council decides real applications.
Lawful Development Certificate for proposed erection of single storey rear exten · Swinton Rockingham · 2026-03-13
Application for Lawful Development Certificate re: proposed dormer to the rear · Swinton Rockingham · 2026-03-11
Application for Lawful Development Certificate re: proposed single storey side e · Hellaby & Maltby West · 2026-03-05
Showing 3 of 200 comparable decisions. See all 200 in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In Rotherham, 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 Rotherham
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for Rotherham →
✓ Common refusal reasons in Rotherham
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free. Based on 2,503 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in Rotherham
What is the planning approval rate in Rotherham?
Based on 2,503 planning decisions analysed since 2020, Rotherham approved 92.7% of applications and refused 7.3%. The council is ranked 177th out of 284 UK councils for approval rate.
How many planning applications are refused in Rotherham?
Rotherham refuses 7.3% of planning applications, roughly 1 in 14. That is lower than the UK average of 11.7%. Out of 2,503 decided applications since 2020, 182 were refused. PlanningLens lets you check any postcode to see which applications were refused near a specific property.
Which areas of Rotherham have the highest planning approval rates?
The highest approval rates in Rotherham are in Rother Vale (97.2%), Keppel (95.9%), and Wath (91.5%). Approval rates vary significantly by ward, see the full ward breakdown above.
What types of planning application are most common in Rotherham?
The most common planning application types in Rotherham are: Other (2,503 decisions, 92.7% approved).
How long does a planning application take in Rotherham?
Planning applications in Rotherham take an average of 5.7 weeks to reach a decision, measured across 2,501 decisions with a recorded timeline. That is inside 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. Rotherham decides approximately 417 planning applications per year.
How do I check planning applications in Rotherham?
You can search planning applications in Rotherham directly on the council's official planning portal. PlanningLens also lets you check any postcode against 2,503 historical decisions in Rotherham to see what's been approved and refused near a specific property.
How is PlanningLens approval rate data for Rotherham calculated?
PlanningLens scrapes Rotherham'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.