Shetland Council approves 98.4% of planning applications, based on 6,267 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.0%. Shetland sits 10.4 percentage points above the national average.
Enter your postcode for a free, personalised approval pattern report — based on your ward and application type.
Not all applications are treated equally. Extension types, listed building consent, and change of use applications each have very different success rates in Shetland.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 6,168 | 99 | 6,267 | 98.4% |
A loft conversion in one ward can have a 90% approval rate. In the next ward, 55%. The free check tells you which side you're on — your free property report is emailed in minutes.
Check My PostcodeWard-level data reveals where planning applications are most and least likely to succeed. Officers, local policies, and neighbourhood character all play a role.
| Ward | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lerwick | 317 | 3 | 320 | 99.1% |
| Tingwall, Whiteness & Weisdale | 121 | 3 | 124 | 97.6% |
| Dunrossness | 118 | 4 | 122 | 96.7% |
| Delting | 110 | 0 | 110 | 100.0% |
| Gulberwick, Quarff & Cunningsburgh | 89 | 4 | 93 | 95.7% |
| Sandness & Walls | 64 | 2 | 66 | 97.0% |
| Sandwick | 56 | 1 | 57 | 98.2% |
| Aithsting & Sandsting | 56 | 0 | 56 | 100.0% |
| Burra & Trondra | 51 | 0 | 51 | 100.0% |
| Scalloway | 49 | 0 | 49 | 100.0% |
| Whalsay | 48 | 0 | 48 | 100.0% |
| Nesting & Lunnasting | 37 | 2 | 39 | 94.9% |
| Unst | 38 | 1 | 39 | 97.4% |
| Northmavine | 37 | 0 | 37 | 100.0% |
| Yell | 37 | 0 | 37 | 100.0% |
| Bressay | 15 | 1 | 16 | 93.8% |
How Shetland’s planning approval rate has changed year by year — up 1.4pp since 2018.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from Shetland council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| 2026/027/PPF Unst | Demolition of existing dwellinghouse and construction of new single storey 2 bed | Approved |
| 2026/021/PPF Aithsting & Sandsting | Proposed Extensions to form new dining room & bedroom extension with ensuite. | Approved |
| 2026/006/PN Gulberwick, Quarff & Cunningsburgh | New general purpose agricultural shed - 30m x 12m | Approved |
| 2026/008/PN Lerwick | Replacement of 4 windows with uPVC windows | Approved |
| 2026/003/PPF Tingwall, Whiteness & Weisdale | Demolition of existing dwellinghouse and erection of single storey dwellinghouse | Approved |
| 2025/314/PPF Lerwick | Proposed external alterations and PV installation. | Approved |
| 2025/318/PPF Lerwick | Erection of office outbuilding | Approved |
| 2025/311/PPF Not Available | Installation of replacement sludge holding tank. | Approved |
| 2025/312/PPF Gulberwick, Quarff & Cunningsburgh | Demolish Existing 4 Bedroom House and garage. Construct new storey and half, 4-B | Approved |
| 2025/306/PPF Lerwick | Demolition of existing entrance porch; erection of new garage and vestibule; ere | Approved |
Find out what actually gets approved near your address first. Your free property report analyses the 20 nearest decisions to your property, ward-specific refusal patterns, and extension-by-extension approval patterns. Based on Shetland's 6,267 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare Shetland's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
Dig deeper into Shetland's planning statistics — by ward, extension type, or project category:
Data-driven guides to help you understand planning approval patterns:
Yes. PlanningLens offers a free planning permission check for Shetland. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 6,267 real decisions from Shetland council. The full property-specific report is also free and emailed within minutes.
Enter your postcode on PlanningLens for a free instant check based on Shetland's real planning decisions. The free property report goes further: it analyses the 20 nearest comparable decisions to your property, ward-level refusal patterns, and approval rates by application type. Free and emailed within minutes.
Based on 6,267 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Shetland is 98.4%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.0%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 6,267 planning decisions from Shetland council. 6,168 were approved and 99 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in Shetland is 98.4%, but outcomes depend heavily on your specific ward, the type of extension or development you are proposing, and local planning policy. Use the free PlanningLens postcode check to get a personalised score.