South Norfolk Council approves 94.2% of planning applications, based on 4,199 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. South Norfolk sits 9.2 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 4,199 decisions on record (March 2021 to September 2026), the overall approval rate in South Norfolk is 94.2%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of South Norfolk council planning portal records · Data to 29 September 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 Norfolk.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | 3,376 | 164 | 3,540 | 95.4% |
| Trees | 1,370 | 98 | 1,468 | 93.3% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 1,034 | 16 | 1,050 | 98.5% |
| Listed Building | 638 | 7 | 645 | 98.9% |
| Other | 556 | 70 | 626 | 88.8% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 131 | 17 | 148 | 88.5% |
| Change of Use | 102 | 9 | 111 | 91.9% |
| Advertisement | 67 | 3 | 70 | 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 | 394 | 16 | 410 | 96.1% |
| Beck Vale, Dickleburgh And Scole | 393 | 13 | 406 | 96.8% |
| Diss And Roydon | 355 | 16 | 371 | 95.7% |
| Poringland, Framinghams And Trowse | 300 | 12 | 312 | 96.2% |
| Loddon And Chedgrave | 286 | 12 | 298 | 96.0% |
| Ditchingham And Earsham | 276 | 12 | 288 | 95.8% |
| Brooke | 264 | 15 | 279 | 94.6% |
| Hethersett | 256 | 13 | 269 | 95.2% |
| Bressingham And Burston | 251 | 10 | 261 | 96.2% |
| Cringleford | 232 | 12 | 244 | 95.1% |
| Central Wymondham | 227 | 10 | 237 | 95.8% |
| Hempnall | 224 | 10 | 234 | 95.7% |
| Bunwell | 202 | 9 | 211 | 95.7% |
| Harleston | 198 | 8 | 206 | 96.1% |
| Rockland | 196 | 9 | 205 | 95.6% |
| Aylsham | 191 | 6 | 197 | 97.0% |
| Wicklewood | 187 | 8 | 195 | 95.9% |
| Great Witchingham | 171 | 15 | 186 | 91.9% |
| Forncett | 174 | 10 | 184 | 94.6% |
| Hingham And Deopham | 170 | 11 | 181 | 93.9% |
| South Wymondham | 164 | 13 | 177 | 92.7% |
| Newton Flotman | 155 | 9 | 164 | 94.5% |
| Thurlton | 135 | 7 | 142 | 95.1% |
| Wroxham | 134 | 8 | 142 | 94.4% |
| Eynesford | 128 | 10 | 138 | 92.8% |
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 4.5pp 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2026/2316 Hellesdon North West | Removal of an existing hip and construction of a gable end to accommodate a loft | Approved |
| 2026/1625 Reepham | Replacement of 2 no. existing low-level metal perimeter gates with new high-leve | Approved |
| 2026/2373 Taverham South | Single-storey rear extension to a bungalow, including construction of a raised d | Approved |
| 2026/2116 Mulbarton And Stoke Holy Cross | Single storey front and two storey side extension, including Re-Rendering, repla | Approved |
| 2026/2054 Beck Vale, Dickleburgh And Scole | Retention of brick wall to north elevation, fence and resurfacing | Approved |
| 2026/1847 Bunwell | Single storey side extension | Approved |
| 2026/1169 Taverham North | Installation of a freestanding aluminium carport over existing driveway | Refused |
| 2026/0546 Coltishall | Outline planning permission for new self build dwelling | Refused |
| 2026/2248 Taverham South | New Fibre Optic telephony cable to front of 103 Taverham Road - request pruning | Approved |
| 2026/1627 South Wymondham | Erection of 2 x single storey extensions to extend cafe area and provide dedicat | 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 4,199 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 4,199 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 4,199 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in South Norfolk is 94.2%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 4,199 planning decisions from South Norfolk council. 3,956 were approved and 243 were refused. These figures cover every decision on record for the council, March 2021 to September 2026.
The average approval rate in South Norfolk is 94.2%, 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 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.