South Downs planning approval rate
South Downs council approved 93.2% of planning applications and refused 6.8%, based on 10,988 decisions analysed. Ranked 197th out of 300 councils for strictness.
Last updated: August 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to August 2026
93.2%
overall approval rate
10,988
Decisions analysed
10,246
Approved
742
Refused
73
Wards covered
Planning in South Downs? 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 South Downs. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.
91.1%
99.3%
95.8%
95.6%
90.4%
88.3%
87.1%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in South Downs, mined from 10,988 proposal descriptions.
90.6%
93.4%
94.9%
93.6%
92.3%
88.1%
94.9%
84.7%
89.1%
83.6%
92.7%
86.3%
94.1%
75.8%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within South Downs. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
Upper Meon Valley Ward
98.7%
Fittleworth Ward CH
92.2%
Fernhurst Ward CH
88.6%
Lewes Priory Ward
91.1%
Harting Ward CH
94.1%
Midhurst Ward CH
92.7%
Liss Ward
95.0%
Central Meon Valley Ward
97.5%
Binsted, Bentley & Selborne Ward
94.2%
Petworth Ward CH
88.9%
Easebourne Ward CH
91.0%
Lewes Castle Ward
90.3%
Petersfield St Peter's Ward
94.7%
Ditchling And Westmeston Ward
93.4%
Lewes Bridge Ward
89.6%
Lavant Ward CH
89.4%
Alresford & Itchen Valley Ward
99.0%
Buriton & East Meon Ward
93.3%
Kingston Ward
88.8%
Froxfield, Sheet & Steep Ward
92.6%
Wards in South Downs
Upper Meon Valley Ward
98.7% approval · 605 decisions
Fittleworth Ward CH
92.2% approval · 514 decisions
Fernhurst Ward CH
88.6% approval · 511 decisions
Lewes Priory Ward
91.1% approval · 463 decisions
Harting Ward CH
94.1% approval · 442 decisions
Midhurst Ward CH
92.7% approval · 424 decisions
Liss Ward
95.0% approval · 378 decisions
Central Meon Valley Ward
97.5% approval · 360 decisions
Binsted, Bentley & Selborne Ward
94.2% approval · 360 decisions
Petworth Ward CH
88.9% approval · 325 decisions
Easebourne Ward CH
91.0% approval · 321 decisions
Lewes Castle Ward
90.3% approval · 319 decisions
Petersfield St Peter's Ward
94.7% approval · 319 decisions
Ditchling And Westmeston Ward
93.4% approval · 316 decisions
Lewes Bridge Ward
89.6% approval · 309 decisions
Lavant Ward CH
89.4% approval · 292 decisions
Alresford & Itchen Valley Ward
99.0% approval · 286 decisions
Buriton & East Meon Ward
93.3% approval · 283 decisions
Kingston Ward
88.8% approval · 278 decisions
Froxfield, Sheet & Steep Ward
92.6% approval · 272 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in South Downs, showing how the council decides real applications.
There are three dead elm trees on the boundary of Chatsworth and Bones lane.We w · Buriton & East Meon Ward · Fri 14 Aug 2026
Remove, replace and raise parapet boe coping wall, repoint boundary wall and fen · Lewes Priory Ward · Fri 14 Aug 2026
T7 - Beech - crown lift by 2.5 metres and shape sides by up to 2.5 metres, reduc · Lewes Priory Ward · Thu 13 Aug 2026
Showing 3 recent comparable decisions. See more in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In South Downs, 1 in 15 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 South Downs
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for South Downs →
✓ Common refusal reasons in South Downs
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free. Based on 10,988 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in South Downs
What is the planning approval rate in South Downs?
Based on 10,988 planning decisions analysed since 2020, South Downs approved 93.2% of applications and refused 6.8%. The council is ranked 197th out of 300 UK councils for approval rate.
How many planning applications are refused in South Downs?
South Downs refuses 6.8% of planning applications, roughly 1 in 15. That is lower than the UK average of 11.4%. Out of 10,988 decided applications since 2020, 742 were refused. PlanningLens lets you check any postcode to see which applications were refused near a specific property.
Which areas of South Downs have the highest planning approval rates?
The highest approval rates in South Downs are in Ouse Valley And Ringmer Ward (99.2%), Alresford & Itchen Valley Ward (99.0%), and Walberton Ward (98.9%). Approval rates vary significantly by ward, see the full ward breakdown above.
What types of planning application are most common in South Downs?
The most common planning application types in South Downs are: Full (4,573 decisions, 91.1% approved), Trees (2,080, 99.3%), and Discharge of Conditions (1,850, 95.8%).
How long does a planning application take in South Downs?
Planning applications in South Downs take an average of 13.1 weeks to reach a decision, measured across 10,916 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. South Downs decides approximately 1,831 planning applications per year.
How do I check planning applications in South Downs?
You can search planning applications in South Downs directly on the council's official planning portal. PlanningLens also lets you check any postcode against 10,988 historical decisions in South Downs to see what's been approved and refused near a specific property.
How is PlanningLens approval rate data for South Downs calculated?
PlanningLens scrapes South Downs' 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.