South Ayrshire Council approves 95.8% of planning applications, based on 961 decisions from the council’s public planning portal. The national approval rate across the councils PlanningLens tracks is 87.43%. South Ayrshire is 8.4 percentage points above that rate.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 379 decided applications, South Ayrshire Council approved 96.6% of planning applications in 2025. Across 961 decisions on record (June 2025 to October 2026), the overall approval rate in South Ayrshire is 95.8%; the national approval rate across the councils PlanningLens tracks is 87.43%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of South Ayrshire council planning portal records · Data to 19 October 2026 · Quote freely with attribution
Enter your postcode to see approval patterns for your ward and application type.
This table counts every decided application in South Ayrshire, including types that the headline rate leaves out, so its totals are larger than the headline figure.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 952 | 51 | 1,003 | 94.9% |
| Listed Building | 83 | 2 | 85 | 97.6% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 72 | 1 | 73 | 98.6% |
| Trees | 52 | 3 | 55 | 94.5% |
| Prior Approval | 54 | 1 | 55 | 98.2% |
| Advertisement | 22 | 0 | 22 | 100.0% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 5 | 0 | 5 | 100.0% |
The free check shows approval patterns for your postcode. The property report follows by email.
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 | 322 | 25 | 347 | 92.8% |
| Troon | 206 | 5 | 211 | 97.6% |
| Maybole, North Carrick And Coylton | 202 | 8 | 210 | 96.2% |
| Kyle | 133 | 8 | 141 | 94.3% |
| Prestwick | 133 | 3 | 136 | 97.8% |
| Girvan And South Carrick | 110 | 5 | 115 | 95.7% |
| Ayr North | 83 | 3 | 86 | 96.5% |
| 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%.
Each reference links to the record on the council’s planning portal.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| 26/00517/APP Maybole, North Carrick And Coylton | Change of use and alterations to provide overnight staff accommodation and repla | Approved |
| 26/00572/COL Ayr North | Alterations to 4 blocks of flats | Approved |
| 26/00538/APP Kyle | Erection of dwellinghouse | Approved |
| 26/00619/APP Troon | Alterations and extension to dwellinghouse | Approved |
| 26/00600/APP Troon | Alterations and extension to dwellinghouse | Approved |
| 26/00597/APP Ayr West | Alterations and extension to dwellinghouse | Approved |
| 26/00592/LBC Ayr West | Alterations to a listed building | Approved |
| 26/00582/APP Maybole, North Carrick And Coylton | Alterations to dwellinghouse | Approved |
| 26/00567/APP Troon | Alterations and extension to dwellinghouse | Approved |
| 26/00551/APP Prestwick | Alterations and extension to dwellinghouse | Approved |
See what has been approved and refused near your address. The property report covers the 20 nearest decisions, refusal patterns in your ward and approval rates by project type, drawn from South Ayrshire's 961 decisions.
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 961 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 961 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in South Ayrshire is 95.8%. The national approval rate across the councils PlanningLens tracks is 87.43%.
PlanningLens has analysed 961 planning decisions from South Ayrshire council. 921 were approved and 40 were refused. These figures cover every decision on record for the council, June 2025 to October 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.