Somerset planning approval rate
Somerset council approved 98.7% of planning applications and refused 1.3%, based on 553 decisions analysed. Ranked 276th out of 284 councils for strictness.
Last updated: June 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to present
98.7%
overall approval rate
553
Decisions analysed
546
Approved
7
Refused
4
Wards covered
Planning in Somerset? 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 Somerset. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.
98.7%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Somerset, mined from 553 proposal descriptions.
100.0%
100.0%
100.0%
100.0%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Somerset. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
Mendip District
97.3%
South Somerset District
99.3%
South Somerset District Council - Area South
100.0%
South Somerset District Council - Area East
100.0%
Wards in Somerset
Mendip District
97.3% approval · 219 decisions
South Somerset District
99.3% approval · 138 decisions
South Somerset District Council - Area South
100.0% approval · 132 decisions
South Somerset District Council - Area East
100.0% approval · 30 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in Somerset, showing how the council decides real applications.
Extension of the existing Wessex Water Hardington Mandeville Water Recycling Cen · South Somerset District · 2023-06-07
Change of use of land to operation Water Recycling Centre and erection of 3 no. · South Somerset District · 2022-10-20
Planning Application for the extension of Blackford Hill Quarry.
Details to s · South Somerset District · 2021-10-04
Showing 3 of 200 comparable decisions. See all 200 in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In Somerset, 1 in 77 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 Somerset
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for Somerset →
✓ Common refusal reasons in Somerset
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free. Based on 553 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in Somerset
What is the planning approval rate in Somerset?
Based on 553 planning decisions analysed since 2020, Somerset approved 98.7% of applications and refused 1.3%. The council is ranked 276th out of 284 UK councils for approval rate.
How many planning applications are refused in Somerset?
Somerset refuses 1.3% of planning applications, roughly 1 in 77. That is lower than the UK average of 11.7%. Out of 553 decided applications since 2020, 7 were refused. PlanningLens lets you check any postcode to see which applications were refused near a specific property.
Which areas of Somerset have the highest planning approval rates?
The highest approval rates in Somerset are in South Somerset District Council - Area South (100.0%), South Somerset District (99.3%), and Mendip District (97.3%). Approval rates vary significantly by ward, see the full ward breakdown above.
What types of planning application are most common in Somerset?
The most common planning application types in Somerset are: Other (553 decisions, 98.7% approved).
How long does a planning application take in Somerset?
Planning applications in Somerset take an average of 14.1 weeks to reach a decision, measured across 525 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. Somerset decides approximately 92 planning applications per year.
How do I check planning applications in Somerset?
You can search planning applications in Somerset directly on the council's official planning portal. PlanningLens also lets you check any postcode against 553 historical decisions in Somerset to see what's been approved and refused near a specific property.
How is PlanningLens approval rate data for Somerset calculated?
PlanningLens scrapes Somerset'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.