Which ward in Shetland has the highest planning approval rate?

Northmavine at 100.0% based on 12 decisions.

Which ward in Shetland has the lowest planning approval rate?

Sandness & Walls at 84.6% based on 13 decisions.

How much do planning approval rates vary across Shetland?

There is a 15.4% gap between Northmavine and Sandness & Walls. Your postcode significantly affects outcomes.

Planning Approval Rates by Ward in Shetland

Planning outcomes in Shetland are highly localised. The gap between the most and least permissive wards is 15.4% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

436 real decisions·11 wards·Updated June 2026

97.7% approved overall. But 10 applications refused since 2020. Where you live in Shetland shifts your odds by up to 15.4%. The council average doesn't tell you which side of that gap you're on.

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All 11 wards ranked

#	Ward	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	Northmavine	12	12	0	100.0%
2	Lerwick	74	74	0	100.0%
3	Delting	25	25	0	100.0%
4	Scalloway	15	15	0	100.0%
5	Yell	17	17	0	100.0%
6	Sandwick	10	10	0	100.0%
7	Dunrossness	27	26	1	96.3%
8	Tingwall, Whiteness & Weisdale	33	31	2	93.9%
9	Burra & Trondra	13	12	1	92.3%
10	Gulberwick, Quarff & Cunningsburgh	22	20	2	90.9%
11	Sandness & Walls	13	11	2	84.6%

See how this applies to your postcode →

These are council averages. Your property is specific.

An extension might sail through in Northmavine but face serious resistance in Sandness & Walls.
Check your postcode to see what actually happens near your address.

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What the data tells us

A 15.4% gap separates the best and worst wards. Northmavine approves 100.0% of applications while Sandness & Walls approves just 84.6%. That's a fundamentally different planning environment.

High volume doesn't mean high approval. Some of the busiest wards aren't the most permissive. The number of applications a ward processes tells you nothing about how likely yours is to succeed.

Ward averages are a starting point, not a guarantee. Your specific outcome depends on your property, your neighbours, your proposal type and the comparable decisions near your address.

Before you spend £5,000+ on architects and drawings

10 planning applications in Shetland have been refused since 2020. Many of those homeowners had already paid for drawings and application fees. A free, property-specific report shows you what gets approved — and what gets refused — near your property.

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Free · Property report emailed in minutes · Based on 3,290,000+ real decisions

More Shetland planning data

Methodology: Covers 436 planning decisions in Shetland, January 2020 to present. Approval rate = approved / (approved + refused). Pending, withdrawn and invalid excluded. Ward boundaries reflect current electoral divisions. Data from Shetland Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →