South Downs Council approves 93.2% of planning applications, based on 10,862 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. South Downs sits 4.6 percentage points above the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 2,068 decided applications, South Downs Council approved 94.7% of planning applications in 2025. Across 10,862 decisions analysed since January 2020, the overall approval rate in South Downs is 93.2%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of South Downs 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 Downs.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | 4,125 | 402 | 4,527 | 91.1% |
| Trees | 2,038 | 15 | 2,053 | 99.3% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 1,753 | 76 | 1,829 | 95.8% |
| Listed Building | 976 | 44 | 1,020 | 95.7% |
| Other | 467 | 50 | 517 | 90.3% |
| Prior Approval | 397 | 54 | 451 | 88.0% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 299 | 83 | 382 | 78.3% |
| Advertisement | 73 | 10 | 83 | 88.0% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Meon Valley | 592 | 8 | 600 | 98.7% |
| Fittleworth Ward CH | 469 | 39 | 508 | 92.3% |
| Fernhurst Ward CH | 449 | 57 | 506 | 88.7% |
| Lewes Priory | 413 | 41 | 454 | 91.0% |
| Harting Ward CH | 413 | 26 | 439 | 94.1% |
| Midhurst Ward CH | 386 | 30 | 416 | 92.8% |
| Liss | 358 | 19 | 377 | 95.0% |
| Binsted, Bentley & Selborne | 338 | 21 | 359 | 94.2% |
| Central Meon Valley | 346 | 9 | 355 | 97.5% |
| Petworth Ward CH | 283 | 36 | 319 | 88.7% |
| Easebourne Ward CH | 288 | 28 | 316 | 91.1% |
| Lewes Castle | 285 | 30 | 315 | 90.5% |
| Ditchling And Westmeston | 292 | 21 | 313 | 93.3% |
| Petersfield St Peter's | 297 | 16 | 313 | 94.9% |
| Lewes Bridge | 276 | 32 | 308 | 89.6% |
| Lavant Ward CH | 258 | 31 | 289 | 89.3% |
| Alresford & Itchen Valley | 282 | 2 | 284 | 99.3% |
| Buriton & East Meon | 260 | 19 | 279 | 93.2% |
| Kingston | 242 | 30 | 272 | 89.0% |
| Froxfield, Sheet & Steep | 251 | 20 | 271 | 92.6% |
| East Dean | 241 | 14 | 255 | 94.5% |
| Colden Common And Twyford | 216 | 6 | 222 | 97.3% |
| Pulborough, Coldwatham and Amberley | 173 | 8 | 181 | 95.6% |
| Goodwood Ward CH | 153 | 14 | 167 | 91.6% |
| Ropley, Hawkley & Hangers | 160 | 6 | 166 | 96.4% |
Showing top 25 of 72 wards by volume. Your free property report includes the full ward breakdown.
See full ward breakdown →How South Downs’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, up 0.7pp since 2020.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from South Downs council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| SDNP/26/02467/HOUS Central Meon Valley | (Retrospective) Construction of Detached Garden Room | Approved |
| SDNP/26/02436/CND Lavant Ward CH | Conversion of garage, replacement of porch door and changes to fenestration. (Va | Approved |
| SDNP/26/02381/HOUS Upper Meon Valley | (AMENDED PROPOSAL 29.07.26) - Construction of a first-floor side extension toget | Approved |
| SDNP/26/02272/HOUS Lewes Priory | Alterations to existing loft conversion including repositioning of staircase, th | Approved |
| SDNP/26/01008/HOUS Liss | Installation of new external windows, doors and rooflight. Internal and external | Approved |
| SDNP/26/02683/OHL Bishops Waltham Ward ED | (Location given as Land on the east side of Dundridge Lane, Bishops Waltham, Sou | Approved |
| SDNP/26/02480/HOUS Southwick & Wickham | Erection of incidental garden kitchen | Approved |
| SDNP/26/02455/LIS Upper Meon Valley | Repairs to boundary wall. | Approved |
| SDNP/26/02242/HOUS Central Meon Valley | Construction of detached double garage with home office above. | Approved |
| SDNP/26/02148/HOUS Lewes Castle | Replace the single glazed timber sashes on the front and side elevations with sl | 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 Downs's 10,862 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare South Downs's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
Dig deeper into South Downs'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 Downs. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 10,862 real decisions from South Downs 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 Downs'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 10,862 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in South Downs is 93.2%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 10,862 planning decisions from South Downs council. 10,128 were approved and 734 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in South Downs is 93.2%, 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 Downs? 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.