Southampton Council approves – of planning applications, based on 319 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. Southampton is closely in line with the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 319 decided applications on record (December 2004 to February 2026), Southampton Council approved – of planning applications. The national average approval rate across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Southampton council planning portal records · Data to 6 February 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 Southampton.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | – | – | 1,007 | – |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portswood | – | – | 126 | – |
| Bassett | – | – | 101 | – |
| Bargate | – | – | 89 | – |
| Shirley | – | – | 81 | – |
| Swaythling | – | – | 71 | – |
| Freemantle | – | – | 64 | – |
| Bitterne Park | – | – | 61 | – |
| Millbrook | – | – | 58 | – |
| Woolston | – | – | 55 | – |
| Bevois | – | – | 54 | – |
| Coxford | – | – | 45 | – |
| Harefield | – | – | 39 | – |
| Peartree | – | – | 39 | – |
| Sholing | – | – | 36 | – |
| Bitterne | – | – | 30 | – |
| Redbridge | – | – | 29 | – |
| Banister and Polygon | – | – | 7 | – |
How Southampton’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, unchanged since 2018.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from Southampton council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| 26/00138/PLDC Bargate | Application for a lawful development certificate for proposed replacement of exi | Approved |
| 26/00004/TCA Portswood | Reduce the height of a group of leylandii trees at the rear of the garden at 5 G | Approved |
| 26/00073/FUL Woolston | Installation of 2 storage containers and replacement of boundary fence and gates | Approved |
| 26/00009/PAH Bassett | Erection of a single storey rear extension (Max Depth 5.5 m, Max Height 4 m, Eav | Approved |
| 26/00013/PAH Bitterne Park | Erection of a single storey rear extension (Max Depth 4, Max Height 4 m, Eaves H | Approved |
| 25/01569/PAH Harefield | Erection of a single storey rear extension (Max Depth 3.50m, Max Height 3.80m, E | Approved |
| 25/01431/PAH Peartree | Erection of a single storey rear extension (Max Depth 4.23m, Max Height 3m, Eave | Approved |
| 25/01206/FUL Peartree | Erection of raised decking, privacy panels and steps into garden with associated | Approved |
| 25/00965/PAH Bassett | Erection of a single storey rear extension (Max Depth 6 m, Max Height 3 m, Eaves | Approved |
| 25/00739/PAH Bassett | Erection of a single storey rear extension (Max Depth 4.6 m, Max Height 3.7 m, E | 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 Southampton's 319 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare Southampton's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
More council comparisons coming soon.
Dig deeper into Southampton'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 Southampton. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 319 real decisions from Southampton 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 Southampton'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 319 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Southampton is –. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 319 planning decisions from Southampton council. – were approved and – were refused. These figures cover every decision on record for the council, December 2004 to February 2026.
The average approval rate in Southampton is –, 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 Southampton? 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.