South Norfolk Council approves 96.0% of planning applications, based on 4,579 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.3%. South Norfolk sits 7.7 percentage points above the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 4,579 decided applications published since January 2020, South Norfolk Council approved 96.0% of planning applications. The national average approval rate across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.3%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of South Norfolk council planning portal records · Updated June 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 | 2,301 | 81 | 2,382 | 96.6% |
| Trees | 652 | 56 | 708 | 92.1% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 534 | 6 | 540 | 98.9% |
| Listed Building | 446 | 2 | 448 | 99.6% |
| Other | 287 | 25 | 312 | 92.0% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 69 | 5 | 74 | 93.2% |
| Change of Use | 62 | 6 | 68 | 91.2% |
| Advertisement | 45 | 2 | 47 | 95.7% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mulbarton And Stoke Holy Cross | 278 | 8 | 286 | 97.2% |
| Beck Vale, Dickleburgh And Scole | 266 | 7 | 273 | 97.4% |
| Diss And Roydon | 254 | 11 | 265 | 95.8% |
| Poringland, Framinghams And Trowse | 216 | 11 | 227 | 95.2% |
| Ditchingham And Earsham | 207 | 4 | 211 | 98.1% |
| Loddon And Chedgrave | 200 | 6 | 206 | 97.1% |
| Brooke | 190 | 9 | 199 | 95.5% |
| Bressingham And Burston | 188 | 6 | 194 | 96.9% |
| Hethersett | 168 | 9 | 177 | 94.9% |
| Hempnall | 165 | 3 | 168 | 98.2% |
| Bunwell | 162 | 3 | 165 | 98.2% |
| Cringleford | 152 | 9 | 161 | 94.4% |
| Central Wymondham | 151 | 8 | 159 | 95.0% |
| Rockland | 150 | 6 | 156 | 96.2% |
| Wicklewood | 144 | 5 | 149 | 96.6% |
| Forncett | 132 | 5 | 137 | 96.4% |
| Great Witchingham | 124 | 7 | 131 | 94.7% |
| Harleston | 123 | 6 | 129 | 95.3% |
| South Wymondham | 121 | 7 | 128 | 94.5% |
| Newton Flotman | 107 | 5 | 112 | 95.5% |
| Thurlton | 106 | 2 | 108 | 98.1% |
| Hingham And Deopham | 103 | 4 | 107 | 96.3% |
| New Costessey | 82 | 2 | 84 | 97.6% |
| Eynesford | 78 | 6 | 84 | 92.9% |
| North Wymondham | 68 | 1 | 69 | 98.6% |
Showing top 25 of 51 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 4.8pp 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2026/1318 Old Catton And Sprowston West | Discharge conditions 13 - onsite construction worker parking, 14 - construction | Approved |
| 2026/1185 Horsford And Felthorpe | Erection of single storey side and rear extension, garage and new bay window to | Approved |
| 2026/1476 Coltishall | T1 Sycamore - Crown lift above roof line to give 2-3m clearance. Tip back lower | Approved |
| 2026/1524 Taverham North | First floor side extension over existing single storey garage/utility room. | Approved |
| 2026/1301 Old Catton And Sprowston West | Lawful development certificate for the proposed partial loft conversion includin | Approved |
| 2026/1215 Coltishall | Demolition of existing conservatory and replacement with full width, rear flat r | Approved |
| 2026/1203 Wroxham | Demolition of the existing conservatory and WC extension. Erection of a 2 storey | Approved |
| 2026/1047 Hempnall | Proposed single storey rear extension, front first floor extension and first flo | Approved |
| 2026/0768 Aylsham | Single storey side and front extensions. | Approved |
| 2026/0807 Hingham And Deopham | Retrospective application for installation of Woodburner with roof fitted flue. | 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 4,579 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare South Norfolk's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
More council comparisons coming soon.
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 4,579 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 4,579 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in South Norfolk is 96.0%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.3%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 4,579 planning decisions from South Norfolk council. 4,396 were approved and 183 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in South Norfolk is 96.0%, 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.