South Norfolk planning approval rate
South Norfolk council approved 96.0% of planning applications and refused 4.0%, based on 4,579 decisions analysed. Ranked 251st out of 284 councils for strictness.
Last updated: June 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to present
96.0%
overall approval rate
4,579
Decisions analysed
4,396
Approved
183
Refused
51
Wards covered
Planning in South Norfolk? 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 Norfolk. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.
96.6%
92.1%
98.9%
99.6%
92.0%
91.2%
95.7%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in South Norfolk, mined from 4,579 proposal descriptions.
98.3%
94.9%
97.6%
98.1%
96.9%
88.0%
93.8%
100.0%
98.4%
97.3%
98.6%
98.0%
76.9%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within South Norfolk. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
Mulbarton And Stoke Holy Cross
97.2%
Beck Vale, Dickleburgh And Scole
97.4%
Diss And Roydon
95.8%
Poringland, Framinghams And Trowse
95.2%
Ditchingham And Earsham
98.1%
Loddon And Chedgrave
97.1%
Brooke
95.5%
Bressingham And Burston
96.9%
Hethersett
94.9%
Hempnall
98.2%
Bunwell
98.2%
Cringleford
94.4%
Central Wymondham
95.0%
Rockland
96.2%
Wicklewood
96.6%
Forncett
96.4%
Great Witchingham
94.7%
Harleston
95.3%
South Wymondham
94.5%
Newton Flotman
95.5%
Wards in South Norfolk
Mulbarton And Stoke Holy Cross
97.2% approval · 286 decisions
Beck Vale, Dickleburgh And Scole
97.4% approval · 273 decisions
Diss And Roydon
95.8% approval · 265 decisions
Poringland, Framinghams And Trowse
95.2% approval · 227 decisions
Ditchingham And Earsham
98.1% approval · 211 decisions
Loddon And Chedgrave
97.1% approval · 206 decisions
Brooke
95.5% approval · 199 decisions
Bressingham And Burston
96.9% approval · 194 decisions
Hethersett
94.9% approval · 177 decisions
Hempnall
98.2% approval · 168 decisions
Bunwell
98.2% approval · 165 decisions
Cringleford
94.4% approval · 161 decisions
Central Wymondham
95.0% approval · 159 decisions
Rockland
96.2% approval · 156 decisions
Wicklewood
96.6% approval · 149 decisions
Forncett
96.4% approval · 137 decisions
Great Witchingham
94.7% approval · 131 decisions
Harleston
95.3% approval · 129 decisions
South Wymondham
94.5% approval · 128 decisions
Newton Flotman
95.5% approval · 112 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in South Norfolk, showing how the council decides real applications.
Discharge conditions 13 - onsite construction worker parking, 14 - construction · Old Catton And Sprowston West · Tue 23 Jun 2026
Erection of single storey side and rear extension, garage and new bay window to · Horsford And Felthorpe · Tue 23 Jun 2026
T1 Sycamore - Crown lift above roof line to give 2-3m clearance. Tip back lower · Coltishall · Mon 22 Jun 2026
Showing 3 of 200 comparable decisions. See all 200 in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In South Norfolk, 1 in 25 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 Norfolk
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for South Norfolk →
✓ Common refusal reasons in South Norfolk
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free. Based on 4,579 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in South Norfolk
What is the planning approval rate in South Norfolk?
Based on 4,579 planning decisions analysed since 2020, South Norfolk approved 96.0% of applications and refused 4.0%. The council is ranked 251st out of 284 UK councils for approval rate.
How many planning applications are refused in South Norfolk?
South Norfolk refuses 4.0% of planning applications, roughly 1 in 25. That is lower than the UK average of 11.7%. Out of 4,579 decided applications since 2020, 183 were refused. PlanningLens lets you check any postcode to see which applications were refused near a specific property.
Which areas of South Norfolk have the highest planning approval rates?
The highest approval rates in South Norfolk are in Stratton (100.0%), North Wymondham (98.6%), and Bunwell (98.2%). Approval rates vary significantly by ward, see the full ward breakdown above.
What types of planning application are most common in South Norfolk?
The most common planning application types in South Norfolk are: Full (2,382 decisions, 96.6% approved), Trees (708, 92.1%), and Discharge of Conditions (540, 98.9%).
How long does a planning application take in South Norfolk?
Planning applications in South Norfolk take an average of 10.7 weeks to reach a decision, measured across 4,544 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 Norfolk decides approximately 763 planning applications per year.
How do I check planning applications in South Norfolk?
You can search planning applications in South Norfolk directly on the council's official planning portal. PlanningLens also lets you check any postcode against 4,579 historical decisions in South Norfolk to see what's been approved and refused near a specific property.
How is PlanningLens approval rate data for South Norfolk calculated?
PlanningLens scrapes South Norfolk's 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.