Shetland planning approval rate
Shetland council approved 98.3% of planning applications and refused 1.7%, based on 9,013 decisions analysed. Ranked 288th out of 300 councils for strictness.
Last updated: August 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to August 2026
98.3%
overall approval rate
9,013
Decisions analysed
8,857
Approved
156
Refused
16
Wards covered
Planning in Shetland? 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 Shetland. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.
98.1%
98.3%
99.1%
99.1%
98.6%
100.0%
100.0%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Shetland, mined from 9,013 proposal descriptions.
98.9%
98.9%
98.5%
98.8%
100.0%
98.3%
100.0%
88.9%
100.0%
100.0%
100.0%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Shetland. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
Lerwick
99.2%
Tingwall, Whiteness & Weisdale
97.7%
Dunrossness
96.9%
Delting
100.0%
Gulberwick, Quarff & Cunningsburgh
95.9%
Sandness & Walls
94.4%
Scalloway
100.0%
Burra & Trondra
98.2%
Sandwick
98.2%
Aithsting & Sandsting
100.0%
Whalsay
100.0%
Northmavine
100.0%
Yell
100.0%
Unst
95.3%
Nesting & Lunnasting
95.2%
Wards in Shetland
Lerwick
99.2% approval · 353 decisions
Tingwall, Whiteness & Weisdale
97.7% approval · 133 decisions
Dunrossness
96.9% approval · 129 decisions
Delting
100.0% approval · 126 decisions
Gulberwick, Quarff & Cunningsburgh
95.9% approval · 98 decisions
Sandness & Walls
94.4% approval · 71 decisions
Scalloway
100.0% approval · 58 decisions
Burra & Trondra
98.2% approval · 57 decisions
Sandwick
98.2% approval · 57 decisions
Aithsting & Sandsting
100.0% approval · 56 decisions
Whalsay
100.0% approval · 49 decisions
Northmavine
100.0% approval · 45 decisions
Yell
100.0% approval · 44 decisions
Unst
95.3% approval · 43 decisions
Nesting & Lunnasting
95.2% approval · 42 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in Shetland, showing how the council decides real applications.
To construct Cabin with ASHP for family use only, create new car parking area; c · Sandwick · Mon 03 Aug 2026
Installation of 9no. PV panels to existing roof. · Yell · Thu 30 Jul 2026
7.4m x 4.7m extension to changing facility · Gulberwick, Quarff & Cunningsburgh · Tue 28 Jul 2026
Showing 3 recent comparable decisions. See more in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In Shetland, 1 in 59 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 Shetland
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for Shetland →
✓ Common refusal reasons in Shetland
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free. Based on 9,013 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in Shetland
What is the planning approval rate in Shetland?
Based on 9,013 planning decisions analysed since 2020, Shetland approved 98.3% of applications and refused 1.7%. The council is ranked 288th out of 300 UK councils for approval rate.
How many planning applications are refused in Shetland?
Shetland refuses 1.7% of planning applications, roughly 1 in 59. That is lower than the UK average of 11.4%. Out of 9,013 decided applications since 2020, 156 were refused. PlanningLens lets you check any postcode to see which applications were refused near a specific property.
Which areas of Shetland have the highest planning approval rates?
The highest approval rates in Shetland are in Delting (100.0%), Scalloway (100.0%), and Aithsting & Sandsting (100.0%). Approval rates vary significantly by ward, see the full ward breakdown above.
What types of planning application are most common in Shetland?
The most common planning application types in Shetland are: Other (3,904 decisions, 98.1% approved), Full (3,217, 98.3%), and Discharge of Conditions (783, 99.1%).
How long does a planning application take in Shetland?
Planning applications in Shetland take an average of 10.8 weeks to reach a decision, measured across 8,936 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. Shetland decides approximately 1,502 planning applications per year.
How do I check planning applications in Shetland?
You can search planning applications in Shetland directly on the council's official planning portal. PlanningLens also lets you check any postcode against 9,013 historical decisions in Shetland to see what's been approved and refused near a specific property.
How is PlanningLens approval rate data for Shetland calculated?
PlanningLens scrapes Shetland'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.