Southend-on-Sea planning approval rate

Southend-on-Sea council approved 79.4% of planning applications and refused 20.6%, based on 587 decisions analysed. Ranked 12th out of 221 councils for strictness.

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

79.4%

overall approval rate

587

Decisions analysed

466

Approved

121

Refused

Wards covered

Planning in Southend-on-Sea? 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 Southend-on-Sea. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.

Full (320 decided)

81.6%

Other (117 decided)

80.3%

Certificate of Lawfulness (72 decided)

72.2%

Trees (49 decided)

87.8%

Prior Approval (18 decided)

33.3%

Approval rate by project type

These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Southend-on-Sea — mined from 587 proposal descriptions.

Rear Extension (151 decided)

83.4%

Garage / Parking (94 decided)

83.0%

Side Extension (82 decided)

84.1%

Dormer (74 decided)

75.7%

Change of Use (Residential) (58 decided)

53.4%

Flat Conversion (38 decided)

47.4%

Loft Conversion (31 decided)

74.2%

Outbuilding (30 decided)

90.0%

Hip-to-Gable Conversion (27 decided)

74.1%

HMO (21 decided)

61.9%

Wraparound Extension (12 decided)

83.3%

Conservatory (11 decided)

100.0%

Front Extension (10 decided)

100.0%

Approval rate by ward

Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Southend-on-Sea. Click any ward for detailed statistics.

Milton (65 decided)

72.3%

Leigh (61 decided)

90.2%

Chalkwell (53 decided)

79.2%

Kursaal (49 decided)

69.4%

Thorpe (46 decided)

71.7%

West Leigh (39 decided)

89.7%

Eastwood Park (32 decided)

68.8%

Belfairs (31 decided)

80.6%

Blenheim Park (30 decided)

70.0%

Prittlewell (28 decided)

85.7%

Victoria (26 decided)

84.6%

West Shoebury (25 decided)

88.0%

Southchurch (25 decided)

80.0%

Shoeburyness (24 decided)

87.5%

Wards in Southend-on-Sea

Milton

72.3% approval · 65 decisions

Leigh

90.2% approval · 61 decisions

Chalkwell

79.2% approval · 53 decisions

Kursaal

69.4% approval · 49 decisions

Thorpe

71.7% approval · 46 decisions

West Leigh

89.7% approval · 39 decisions

Eastwood Park

68.8% approval · 32 decisions

Belfairs

80.6% approval · 31 decisions

Blenheim Park

70.0% approval · 30 decisions

Prittlewell

85.7% approval · 28 decisions

Victoria

84.6% approval · 26 decisions

West Shoebury

88.0% approval · 25 decisions

Southchurch

80.0% approval · 25 decisions

Shoeburyness

87.5% approval · 24 decisions

Recent comparable decisions

The most recent residential planning decisions in Southend-on-Sea, showing how the council decides real applications.

26/00008/CLP

Hip to gable roof extension with dormer to rear and rooflights to front includin · St Laurence · Thu 26 Feb 2026

Approved

25/01800/FULH

Alterations and replace roof to existing conservatory, extend existing garage, a · Shoeburyness · Thu 26 Feb 2026

Approved

25/01581/FUL

Part demolish existing church building, erect single storey extensions to front · Victoria · Thu 26 Feb 2026

Approved

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

What gets approved near your property?

In Southend-on-Sea, 1 in 5 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 Southend-on-Sea
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect

Get Southend-on-Sea Pro Report — £79

Less than one set of revised drawings. Based on 587 decisions.

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