Sevenoaks planning approval rate
Sevenoaks council approved 86.8% of planning applications and refused 13.2%, based on 12,687 decisions analysed. Ranked 66th out of 284 councils for strictness.
Last updated: June 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to present
86.8%
overall approval rate
12,687
Decisions analysed
11,008
Approved
1,679
Refused
27
Wards covered
Planning in Sevenoaks? 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 Sevenoaks. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.
83.3%
90.3%
96.1%
85.1%
82.4%
86.9%
89.3%
69.4%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Sevenoaks, mined from 12,687 proposal descriptions.
81.6%
87.7%
87.2%
82.5%
81.9%
83.7%
81.8%
71.8%
90.0%
88.6%
89.3%
73.7%
82.2%
80.6%
73.2%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Sevenoaks. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
Seal & Weald
88.9%
Sevenoaks Town & St Johns
90.2%
Brasted, Chevening And Sundridge
88.0%
Sevenoaks Kippington
92.8%
Otford & Shoreham
87.6%
Fawkham & West Kingsdown
79.5%
Halstead, Knockholt & Badgers Mount
78.7%
Westerham & Crockham Hill
83.2%
Penshurst, Fordcombe & Chiddingstone
87.3%
Hartley & Hodsoll Street
80.1%
Cowden & Hever
86.8%
Kemsing
87.8%
Farningham, Horton Kirby & South Darenth
81.6%
Sevenoaks Eastern
92.5%
Leigh & Chiddingstone Causeway
90.6%
Dunton Green & Riverhead
92.1%
Edenbridge North & East
85.8%
Edenbridge South & West
85.3%
Swanley Christchurch & Swanley Village
86.8%
Swanley White Oak
83.5%
Wards in Sevenoaks
Seal & Weald
88.9% approval · 1,083 decisions
Sevenoaks Town & St Johns
90.2% approval · 1,064 decisions
Brasted, Chevening And Sundridge
88.0% approval · 1,051 decisions
Sevenoaks Kippington
92.8% approval · 818 decisions
Otford & Shoreham
87.6% approval · 684 decisions
Fawkham & West Kingsdown
79.5% approval · 657 decisions
Halstead, Knockholt & Badgers Mount
78.7% approval · 625 decisions
Westerham & Crockham Hill
83.2% approval · 589 decisions
Penshurst, Fordcombe & Chiddingstone
87.3% approval · 535 decisions
Hartley & Hodsoll Street
80.1% approval · 472 decisions
Cowden & Hever
86.8% approval · 456 decisions
Kemsing
87.8% approval · 434 decisions
Farningham, Horton Kirby & South Darenth
81.6% approval · 429 decisions
Sevenoaks Eastern
92.5% approval · 415 decisions
Leigh & Chiddingstone Causeway
90.6% approval · 405 decisions
Dunton Green & Riverhead
92.1% approval · 404 decisions
Edenbridge North & East
85.8% approval · 359 decisions
Edenbridge South & West
85.3% approval · 313 decisions
Swanley Christchurch & Swanley Village
86.8% approval · 302 decisions
Swanley White Oak
83.5% approval · 285 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in Sevenoaks, showing how the council decides real applications.
Erection of Hay Store and Agricultural Machinery Store · Westerham & Crockham Hill · Mon 22 Jan 2024
3m rear extension. · Sevenoaks Kippington · Fri 22 Dec 2023
Install secondary glazing to existing windows · Cowden & Hever · Fri 22 Dec 2023
Showing 3 of 200 comparable decisions. See all 200 in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In Sevenoaks, 1 in 8 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 Sevenoaks
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for Sevenoaks →
✓ Common refusal reasons in Sevenoaks
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free. Based on 12,687 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in Sevenoaks
What is the planning approval rate in Sevenoaks?
Based on 12,687 planning decisions analysed since 2020, Sevenoaks approved 86.8% of applications and refused 13.2%. The council is ranked 66th out of 284 UK councils for approval rate.
How many planning applications are refused in Sevenoaks?
Sevenoaks refuses 13.2% of planning applications, roughly 1 in 8. That is higher than the UK average of 11.7%. Out of 12,687 decided applications since 2020, 1,679 were refused. PlanningLens lets you check any postcode to see which applications were refused near a specific property.
Which areas of Sevenoaks have the highest planning approval rates?
The highest approval rates in Sevenoaks are in Sevenoaks Kippington (92.8%), Sevenoaks Eastern (92.5%), and Dunton Green & Riverhead (92.1%). Approval rates vary significantly by ward, see the full ward breakdown above.
What types of planning application are most common in Sevenoaks?
The most common planning application types in Sevenoaks are: Full (5,255 decisions, 83.3% approved), Other (3,354, 90.3%), and Trees (2,218, 96.1%).
How long does a planning application take in Sevenoaks?
Planning applications in Sevenoaks take an average of 8.2 weeks to reach a decision, measured across 12,670 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. Sevenoaks decides approximately 2,114 planning applications per year.
How do I check planning applications in Sevenoaks?
You can search planning applications in Sevenoaks directly on the council's official planning portal. PlanningLens also lets you check any postcode against 12,687 historical decisions in Sevenoaks to see what's been approved and refused near a specific property.
How is PlanningLens approval rate data for Sevenoaks calculated?
PlanningLens scrapes Sevenoaks' 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.