Shetland planning approval rate

Shetland council approved 98.4% of planning applications and refused 1.6%, based on 6,267 decisions analysed. Ranked 227th out of 237 councils for strictness.

Last updated: May 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to present

98.4%

overall approval rate

6,267

Decisions analysed

6,168

Approved

Refused

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.

Other (6,267 decided)

98.4%

Approval rate by project type

These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Shetland — mined from 6,267 proposal descriptions.

Garage / Parking (810 decided)

98.6%

Extension (General) (624 decided)

98.6%

Outbuilding (468 decided)

98.1%

Change of Use (Residential) (367 decided)

97.8%

New Build (177 decided)

98.9%

Rear Extension (46 decided)

97.8%

Dormer (20 decided)

100.0%

Conservatory (19 decided)

100.0%

Basement (17 decided)

88.2%

Side Extension (12 decided)

100.0%

Loft Conversion (11 decided)

100.0%

Annex (11 decided)

100.0%

Approval rate by ward

Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Shetland. Click any ward for detailed statistics.

Lerwick (320 decided)

99.1%

Tingwall, Whiteness & Weisdale (124 decided)

97.6%

Dunrossness (122 decided)

96.7%

Delting (110 decided)

100.0%

Gulberwick, Quarff & Cunningsburgh (93 decided)

95.7%

Sandness & Walls (66 decided)

97.0%

Sandwick (57 decided)

98.2%

Aithsting & Sandsting (56 decided)

100.0%

Burra & Trondra (51 decided)

100.0%

Scalloway (49 decided)

100.0%

Whalsay (48 decided)

100.0%

Nesting & Lunnasting (39 decided)

94.9%

Unst (39 decided)

97.4%

Northmavine (37 decided)

100.0%

Yell (37 decided)

100.0%

Wards in Shetland

Lerwick

99.1% approval · 320 decisions

Tingwall, Whiteness & Weisdale

97.6% approval · 124 decisions

Dunrossness

96.7% approval · 122 decisions

Delting

100.0% approval · 110 decisions

Gulberwick, Quarff & Cunningsburgh

95.7% approval · 93 decisions

Sandness & Walls

97.0% approval · 66 decisions

Sandwick

98.2% approval · 57 decisions

Aithsting & Sandsting

100.0% approval · 56 decisions

Burra & Trondra

100.0% approval · 51 decisions

Scalloway

100.0% approval · 49 decisions

Whalsay

100.0% approval · 48 decisions

Nesting & Lunnasting

94.9% approval · 39 decisions

Unst

97.4% approval · 39 decisions

Northmavine

100.0% approval · 37 decisions

Yell

100.0% approval · 37 decisions

Recent comparable decisions

The most recent residential planning decisions in Shetland, showing how the council decides real applications.

2026/027/PPF

Demolition of existing dwellinghouse and construction of new single storey 2 bed · Unst · Tue 10 Feb 2026

Approved

2026/021/PPF

Proposed Extensions to form new dining room & bedroom extension with ensuite. · Aithsting & Sandsting · Fri 06 Feb 2026

Approved

2026/006/PN

New general purpose agricultural shed - 30m x 12m · Gulberwick, Quarff & Cunningsburgh · Thu 05 Feb 2026

Approved

Showing 3 of 200 comparable decisions. See all 200 in the full report →

What gets approved near your property?

In Shetland, 1 in 62 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 →

Free. Based on 6,267 decisions.

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