Rugby planning approval rate
Rugby council approved 94.0% of planning applications and refused 6.0%, based on 13,912 decisions analysed. Ranked 221st out of 300 councils for strictness.
Last updated: August 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to August 2026
94.0%
overall approval rate
13,912
Decisions analysed
13,080
Approved
832
Refused
28
Wards covered
Planning in Rugby? 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 Rugby. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.
92.9%
97.7%
95.4%
99.1%
98.6%
92.8%
86.0%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Rugby, mined from 13,912 proposal descriptions.
97.2%
96.1%
92.7%
87.6%
94.2%
92.5%
95.7%
97.1%
94.8%
97.5%
95.9%
90.6%
95.2%
100.0%
100.0%
100.0%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Rugby. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
Dunsmore
94.4%
Revel & Binley Woods
90.8%
Eastlands
96.1%
Wolston & the Lawfords
94.6%
Leam Valley
91.4%
Paddox
96.8%
Benn
92.7%
Wolvey & Shilton
87.0%
Bilton
96.5%
Clifton, Newton & Churchover
93.9%
Newbold & Brownsover
95.8%
Hillmorton
92.6%
Rokeby & Overslade
97.4%
New Bilton
92.2%
Admirals & Cawston
93.1%
Coton & Boughton
94.4%
Bilton, Dunsmore
88.9%
Bilton, Rokeby & Overslade
95.2%
Wards in Rugby
Dunsmore
94.4% approval · 1,884 decisions
Revel & Binley Woods
90.8% approval · 1,517 decisions
Eastlands
96.1% approval · 896 decisions
Wolston & the Lawfords
94.6% approval · 872 decisions
Leam Valley
91.4% approval · 805 decisions
Paddox
96.8% approval · 755 decisions
Benn
92.7% approval · 736 decisions
Wolvey & Shilton
87.0% approval · 648 decisions
Bilton
96.5% approval · 573 decisions
Clifton, Newton & Churchover
93.9% approval · 571 decisions
Newbold & Brownsover
95.8% approval · 568 decisions
Hillmorton
92.6% approval · 555 decisions
Rokeby & Overslade
97.4% approval · 420 decisions
New Bilton
92.2% approval · 386 decisions
Admirals & Cawston
93.1% approval · 348 decisions
Coton & Boughton
94.4% approval · 339 decisions
Bilton, Dunsmore
88.9% approval · 27 decisions
Bilton, Rokeby & Overslade
95.2% approval · 21 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in Rugby, showing how the council decides real applications.
Retrospective extension of existing gypsy and traveller site by 3 residential pi · Revel & Binley Woods · 2026-08-14
Erection of a single storey log cabin / garden room. · Clifton, Newton & Churchover · 2026-08-14
Single storey rear extension. · Dunsmore · 2026-08-14
Showing 3 recent comparable decisions. See more in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In Rugby, 1 in 17 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 Rugby
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for Rugby →
✓ Common refusal reasons in Rugby
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free. Based on 13,912 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in Rugby
What is the planning approval rate in Rugby?
Based on 13,912 planning decisions analysed since 2020, Rugby approved 94.0% of applications and refused 6.0%. The council is ranked 221st out of 300 UK councils for approval rate.
How many planning applications are refused in Rugby?
Rugby refuses 6.0% of planning applications, roughly 1 in 17. That is lower than the UK average of 11.4%. Out of 13,912 decided applications since 2020, 832 were refused. PlanningLens lets you check any postcode to see which applications were refused near a specific property.
Which areas of Rugby have the highest planning approval rates?
The highest approval rates in Rugby are in Rokeby & Overslade (97.4%), Paddox (96.8%), and Bilton (96.5%). Approval rates vary significantly by ward, see the full ward breakdown above.
What types of planning application are most common in Rugby?
The most common planning application types in Rugby are: Other (9,261 decisions, 92.9% approved), Trees (1,715, 97.7%), and Prior Approval (759, 95.4%).
How long does a planning application take in Rugby?
Planning applications in Rugby take an average of 9.5 weeks to reach a decision, measured across 13,803 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. Rugby decides approximately 2,319 planning applications per year.
How do I check planning applications in Rugby?
You can search planning applications in Rugby directly on the council's official planning portal. PlanningLens also lets you check any postcode against 13,912 historical decisions in Rugby to see what's been approved and refused near a specific property.
How is PlanningLens approval rate data for Rugby calculated?
PlanningLens scrapes Rugby'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.