Southampton planning approval rate

Southampton council approved 90.7% of planning applications and refused 9.3%, based on 1,007 decisions analysed. Ranked 116th out of 221 councils for strictness.

Last updated: March 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to present

90.7%

overall approval rate

1,007

Decisions analysed

913

Approved

Refused

Wards covered

Planning in Southampton? 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 Southampton. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.

Other (1,007 decided)

90.7%

Approval rate by project type

These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Southampton — mined from 1,007 proposal descriptions.

Rear Extension (185 decided)

91.9%

Side Extension (64 decided)

84.4%

Garage / Parking (49 decided)

89.8%

Extension (General) (33 decided)

100.0%

Dormer (32 decided)

81.2%

Conservatory (28 decided)

85.7%

New Build (20 decided)

85.0%

Wraparound Extension (17 decided)

94.1%

Change of Use (Residential) (13 decided)

92.3%

Loft Conversion (11 decided)

90.9%

Front Extension (10 decided)

90.0%

Approval rate by ward

Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Southampton. Click any ward for detailed statistics.

Portswood (126 decided)

92.1%

Bassett (101 decided)

86.1%

Bargate (89 decided)

98.9%

Shirley (81 decided)

96.3%

Swaythling (71 decided)

94.4%

Freemantle (64 decided)

85.9%

Bitterne Park (61 decided)

93.4%

Millbrook (58 decided)

89.7%

Woolston (55 decided)

94.5%

Bevois (54 decided)

94.4%

Coxford (45 decided)

86.7%

Harefield (39 decided)

76.9%

Peartree (39 decided)

89.7%

Sholing (36 decided)

94.4%

Bitterne (30 decided)

73.3%

Redbridge (29 decided)

86.2%

Wards in Southampton

Portswood

92.1% approval · 126 decisions

Bassett

86.1% approval · 101 decisions

Bargate

98.9% approval · 89 decisions

Shirley

96.3% approval · 81 decisions

Swaythling

94.4% approval · 71 decisions

Freemantle

85.9% approval · 64 decisions

Bitterne Park

93.4% approval · 61 decisions

Millbrook

89.7% approval · 58 decisions

Woolston

94.5% approval · 55 decisions

Bevois

94.4% approval · 54 decisions

Coxford

86.7% approval · 45 decisions

Harefield

76.9% approval · 39 decisions

Peartree

89.7% approval · 39 decisions

Sholing

94.4% approval · 36 decisions

Bitterne

73.3% approval · 30 decisions

Redbridge

86.2% approval · 29 decisions

Recent comparable decisions

The most recent residential planning decisions in Southampton, showing how the council decides real applications.

26/00138/PLDC

Application for a lawful development certificate for proposed replacement of exi · Bargate ·

Approved

26/00004/TCA

Reduce the height of a group of leylandii trees at the rear of the garden at 5 G · Portswood ·

Approved

26/00073/FUL

Installation of 2 storage containers and replacement of boundary fence and gates · Woolston ·

Approved

Showing 3 of 200 comparable decisions. See all 200 in the Pro Report →

What gets approved near your property?

In Southampton, 1 in 11 applications are refused. Your PlanningLens Pro Report gives you 17 pages of intelligence specific to your property:

✓ Ward-level approval rates for your exact area
✓ Common refusal reasons in Southampton
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect

Get Southampton Pro Report — £79

Less than one set of revised drawings. Based on 1,007 decisions.

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