South Ayrshire Council approves 95.3% of planning applications, based on 1,182 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. South Ayrshire sits 6.7 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 1,182 decisions analysed since January 2020, the overall approval rate in South Ayrshire is 95.3%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of South Ayrshire council planning portal records · Updated August 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 | 867 | 49 | 916 | 94.7% |
| Listed Building | 75 | 2 | 77 | 97.4% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 63 | 1 | 64 | 98.4% |
| Prior Approval | 52 | 1 | 53 | 98.1% |
| Trees | 44 | 3 | 47 | 93.6% |
| Advertisement | 21 | 0 | 21 | 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 | 297 | 25 | 322 | 92.2% |
| Maybole, North Carrick And Coylton | 182 | 8 | 190 | 95.8% |
| Troon | 186 | 4 | 190 | 97.9% |
| Kyle | 122 | 8 | 130 | 93.8% |
| Prestwick | 116 | 2 | 118 | 98.3% |
| Girvan And South Carrick | 101 | 5 | 106 | 95.3% |
| Ayr North | 72 | 3 | 75 | 96.0% |
| Ayr East | 35 | 0 | 35 | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 26/00426/APP Girvan And South Carrick | Partially retrospective erection of a steel portal framed agricultural shed exte | Approved |
| 26/00421/APP Prestwick | Alterations and extension to dwellinghouse | Approved |
| 26/00418/APP Troon | Alterations and extension to dwellinghouse | Approved |
| 26/00041/APP Maybole, North Carrick And Coylton | Erection of a dwellinghouse | Approved |
| 26/00407/APP Troon | Alterations to garage | Approved |
| 26/00100/APP Kyle | Erection of 3 glamping pods | Approved |
| 26/00430/APP Ayr West | Alterations and extension to dwellinghouse | Approved |
| 26/00401/APP Troon | Alterations and extension to dwellinghouse | Approved |
| 26/00013/APP Troon | Alterations and extension to shop, store and hot food takeaway | Approved |
| 26/00399/APP Ayr West | Change of use of retail unit to form dwellingflat and external alterations | 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 1,182 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 1,182 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 1,182 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in South Ayrshire is 95.3%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 1,182 planning decisions from South Ayrshire council. 1,126 were approved and 56 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in South Ayrshire is 95.3%, 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.