Which ward in Southampton has the highest planning approval rate?

Bargate at 98.9% based on 89 decisions.

Which ward in Southampton has the lowest planning approval rate?

Bitterne at 73.3% based on 30 decisions.

How much do planning approval rates vary across Southampton?

There is a 25.6% gap between Bargate and Bitterne. Your postcode significantly affects outcomes.

Planning Approval Rates by Ward in Southampton

Planning outcomes in Southampton are highly localised. The gap between the most and least permissive wards is 25.6% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

1,007 real decisions·16 wards·Updated March 2026

90.7% approved overall. But 94 applications refused since 2020. Where you live in Southampton shifts your odds by up to 25.6%. The council average doesn't tell you which side of that gap you're on.

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All 16 wards ranked

#	Ward	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	Bargate	89	88	1	98.9%
2	Shirley	81	78	3	96.3%
3	Woolston	55	52	3	94.5%
4	Swaythling	71	67	4	94.4%
5	Bevois	54	51	3	94.4%
6	Sholing	36	34	2	94.4%
7	Bitterne Park	61	57	4	93.4%
8	Portswood	126	116	10	92.1%
9	Peartree	39	35	4	89.7%
10	Millbrook	58	52	6	89.7%
11	Coxford	45	39	6	86.7%
12	Redbridge	29	25	4	86.2%
13	Bassett	101	87	14	86.1%
14	Freemantle	64	55	9	85.9%
15	Harefield	39	30	9	76.9%
16	Bitterne	30	22	8	73.3%

See how this applies to your postcode →

These are council averages. Your property is specific.

An extension might sail through in Bargate but face serious resistance in Bitterne.
Check your postcode to see what actually happens near your address.

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What the data tells us

A 25.6% gap separates the best and worst wards. Bargate approves 98.9% of applications while Bitterne approves just 73.3%. That's a fundamentally different planning environment.

High volume doesn't mean high approval. Some of the busiest wards aren't the most permissive. The number of applications a ward processes tells you nothing about how likely yours is to succeed.

Ward averages are a starting point, not a guarantee. Your specific outcome depends on your property, your neighbours, your proposal type and the comparable decisions near your address.

Before you spend £5,000+ on architects and drawings

94 planning applications in Southampton have been refused since 2020. Many of those homeowners had already paid for drawings and application fees. A £79 report shows you what gets approved — and what gets refused — near your property.

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More Southampton planning data

Methodology: Covers 1,007 planning decisions in Southampton, January 2020 to present. Approval rate = approved / (approved + refused). Pending, withdrawn and invalid excluded. Ward boundaries reflect current electoral divisions. Data from Southampton Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →