South Norfolk Council approves 95.1% of planning applications, based on 7,256 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. South Norfolk sits 6.5 percentage points above the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 1,671 decided applications, South Norfolk Council approved 93.9% of planning applications in 2025. Across 7,256 decisions analysed since January 2020, the overall approval rate in South Norfolk is 95.1%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of South Norfolk council planning portal records · Updated August 2026 · Quote freely with attribution
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Not all applications are treated equally. Extension types, listed building consent, and change of use applications each have very different success rates in South Norfolk.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | 3,240 | 157 | 3,397 | 95.4% |
| Trees | 1,283 | 89 | 1,372 | 93.5% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 953 | 14 | 967 | 98.6% |
| Listed Building | 610 | 7 | 617 | 98.9% |
| Other | 527 | 65 | 592 | 89.0% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 123 | 13 | 136 | 90.4% |
| Change of Use | 100 | 9 | 109 | 91.7% |
| Advertisement | 63 | 3 | 66 | 95.5% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beck Vale, Dickleburgh And Scole | 371 | 11 | 382 | 97.1% |
| Mulbarton And Stoke Holy Cross | 367 | 14 | 381 | 96.3% |
| Diss And Roydon | 344 | 16 | 360 | 95.6% |
| Poringland, Framinghams And Trowse | 289 | 11 | 300 | 96.3% |
| Loddon And Chedgrave | 271 | 12 | 283 | 95.8% |
| Ditchingham And Earsham | 270 | 12 | 282 | 95.7% |
| Brooke | 257 | 15 | 272 | 94.5% |
| Bressingham And Burston | 244 | 9 | 253 | 96.4% |
| Hethersett | 240 | 12 | 252 | 95.2% |
| Central Wymondham | 220 | 10 | 230 | 95.7% |
| Cringleford | 218 | 11 | 229 | 95.2% |
| Hempnall | 217 | 10 | 227 | 95.6% |
| Bunwell | 196 | 8 | 204 | 96.1% |
| Rockland | 193 | 9 | 202 | 95.5% |
| Harleston | 189 | 8 | 197 | 95.9% |
| Wicklewood | 182 | 8 | 190 | 95.8% |
| Great Witchingham | 168 | 14 | 182 | 92.3% |
| Forncett | 168 | 9 | 177 | 94.9% |
| Aylsham | 170 | 5 | 175 | 97.1% |
| Hingham And Deopham | 163 | 10 | 173 | 94.2% |
| South Wymondham | 156 | 12 | 168 | 92.9% |
| Newton Flotman | 151 | 8 | 159 | 95.0% |
| Thurlton | 133 | 6 | 139 | 95.7% |
| Eynesford | 123 | 10 | 133 | 92.5% |
| Wroxham | 120 | 8 | 128 | 93.8% |
Showing top 25 of 53 wards by volume. Your free property report includes the full ward breakdown.
See full ward breakdown →How South Norfolk’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, down 4.6pp since 2021.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from South Norfolk council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| 2026/1815 Sprowston East | Single storey rear extension and porch to front | Approved |
| 2026/1832 Hellesdon South East | Single-storey rear extension | Approved |
| 2026/1636 Old Catton And Sprowston West | Proposed single storey flat roof rear extension and loft conversion with rear do | Approved |
| 2026/1810 Mulbarton And Stoke Holy Cross | Conversion of storage area into office accommodation | Approved |
| 2026/1683 Mulbarton And Stoke Holy Cross | Rear extension and loft conversion | Approved |
| 2026/1405 Ditchingham And Earsham | Sub-division of existing residential curtilage and conversion of ancillary annex | Approved |
| 2026/0494 Aylsham | Change of Use of a Class C3 Dwellinghouse to a Mixed Use, Class C3 Dwellinghouse | Refused |
| 2025/1225 Central Wymondham | Re-roofing and associated works | Approved |
| 2026/1766 Bressingham And Burston | Part demolition of the existing outbuilding. Erection of single storey rear exte | Approved |
| 2026/1757 Beck Vale, Dickleburgh And Scole | Details of condition 3 & 4 of 2022/0965 for new windows and door details and rem | 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 Norfolk's 7,256 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare South Norfolk's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
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Dig deeper into South Norfolk'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 Norfolk. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 7,256 real decisions from South Norfolk 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 Norfolk'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 7,256 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in South Norfolk is 95.1%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 7,256 planning decisions from South Norfolk council. 6,899 were approved and 357 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in South Norfolk is 95.1%, 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 Norfolk? 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.