South Ayrshire Council approves 95.8% of planning applications, based on 923 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. South Ayrshire sits 10.8 percentage points above the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 379 decided applications, South Ayrshire Council approved 96.6% of planning applications in 2025. Across 923 decisions on record (June 2025 to September 2026), the overall approval rate in South Ayrshire is 95.8%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of South Ayrshire council planning portal records · Data to 29 September 2026 · Quote freely with attribution
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 South Ayrshire.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 916 | 50 | 966 | 94.8% |
| Listed Building | 78 | 2 | 80 | 97.5% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 68 | 1 | 69 | 98.6% |
| Prior Approval | 53 | 1 | 54 | 98.1% |
| Trees | 49 | 3 | 52 | 94.2% |
| Advertisement | 22 | 0 | 22 | 100.0% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 4 | 0 | 4 | 100.0% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ayr West | 314 | 25 | 339 | 92.6% |
| Troon | 196 | 5 | 201 | 97.5% |
| Maybole, North Carrick And Coylton | 189 | 8 | 197 | 95.9% |
| Kyle | 130 | 8 | 138 | 94.2% |
| Prestwick | 124 | 2 | 126 | 98.4% |
| Girvan And South Carrick | 108 | 5 | 113 | 95.6% |
| Ayr North | 78 | 3 | 81 | 96.3% |
| Ayr East | 36 | 0 | 36 | 100.0% |
How South Ayrshire’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, up 1.8pp since 2025.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from South Ayrshire council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| 26/00531/APP Kyle | Erection of agricultural shed | Approved |
| 26/00440/APP Prestwick | Erection of an aerospace overhaul, maintenance and repair facility, to include a | Approved |
| 26/00490/APP Maybole, North Carrick And Coylton | Alterations and extension to dwellinghouse | Approved |
| 26/00516/APP Troon | Alterations to dwellingflat | Approved |
| 25/00569/APP Girvan And South Carrick | Erection of Class 5 industrial building for use as agricultural contractor/ engi | Approved |
| 26/00478/APP Troon | Alterations and extension to dwellinghouse | Approved |
| 26/00475/APP Maybole, North Carrick And Coylton | Alterations and extension to dwellinghouse | Approved |
| 26/00460/APP Girvan And South Carrick | Erection of garage | Approved |
| 26/00449/APP Ayr North | Alterations and extension to dwellinghouse | Approved |
| 26/00497/APP Maybole, North Carrick And Coylton | Change of use from Class 9 (currently operating as children's home for five resi | 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 South Ayrshire's 923 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare South Ayrshire's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
Dig deeper into South Ayrshire'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 South Ayrshire. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 923 real decisions from South Ayrshire 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 South Ayrshire'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 923 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in South Ayrshire is 95.8%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 923 planning decisions from South Ayrshire council. 884 were approved and 39 were refused. These figures cover every decision on record for the council, June 2025 to September 2026.
The average approval rate in South Ayrshire is 95.8%, 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.
Writing about planning in South Ayrshire? These figures are free to republish with attribution. Copy the one-line citation, or paste the stat box into any website, CMS or newsletter, it carries its own styling and links back to this page for verification.