Stevenage planning approval rate

Stevenage council approved 93.8% of planning applications and refused 6.2%, based on 3,606 decisions analysed. Ranked 167th out of 221 councils for strictness.

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

93.8%

overall approval rate

3,606

Decisions analysed

3,381

Approved

225

Refused

Wards covered

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

Full (2,426 decided)

93.6%

Certificate of Lawfulness (399 decided)

94.2%

Advertisement (274 decided)

97.4%

Other (185 decided)

98.4%

Trees (152 decided)

89.5%

Prior Approval (101 decided)

88.1%

Listed Building (67 decided)

89.6%

Approval rate by project type

These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Stevenage — mined from 3,606 proposal descriptions.

Rear Extension (1,128 decided)

93.7%

Front Extension (445 decided)

95.5%

Side Extension (436 decided)

91.5%

Garage / Parking (374 decided)

90.9%

Change of Use (Residential) (264 decided)

93.2%

Conservatory (178 decided)

98.3%

New Build (169 decided)

86.4%

Dormer (126 decided)

90.5%

Loft Conversion (101 decided)

91.1%

Extension (General) (95 decided)

96.8%

Wraparound Extension (91 decided)

91.2%

Outbuilding (75 decided)

98.7%

HMO (28 decided)

89.3%

Annex (26 decided)

69.2%

Approval rate by ward

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

Old Town (593 decided)

92.6%

Bedwell (405 decided)

96.0%

Roebuck (375 decided)

94.1%

Woodfield (341 decided)

93.8%

Manor (266 decided)

91.4%

Shephall (253 decided)

91.7%

Symonds Green (247 decided)

94.3%

Chells (214 decided)

95.8%

Longmeadow (208 decided)

95.7%

Bandley Hill And Poplars (195 decided)

91.3%

To Follow (187 decided)

94.1%

Martins Wood (162 decided)

93.2%

St Nicholas (148 decided)

95.3%

Wards in Stevenage

Old Town

92.6% approval · 593 decisions

Bedwell

96.0% approval · 405 decisions

Roebuck

94.1% approval · 375 decisions

Woodfield

93.8% approval · 341 decisions

Manor

91.4% approval · 266 decisions

Shephall

91.7% approval · 253 decisions

Symonds Green

94.3% approval · 247 decisions

Chells

95.8% approval · 214 decisions

Longmeadow

95.7% approval · 208 decisions

Bandley Hill And Poplars

91.3% approval · 195 decisions

To Follow

94.1% approval · 187 decisions

Martins Wood

93.2% approval · 162 decisions

St Nicholas

95.3% approval · 148 decisions

Recent comparable decisions

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

26/00012/FPH

Erection of single storey rear extension. · Chells · Mon 02 Mar 2026

Approved

26/00001/CLPD

Lawful Development Certificate (Proposed) single story rear extension · Longmeadow · Fri 27 Feb 2026

Approved

25/00743/FP

Erection of 1no. 5 bedroom detached dwelling · Symonds Green · Fri 27 Feb 2026

Approved

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

What gets approved near your property?

In Stevenage, 1 in 16 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 Stevenage
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect

Get Stevenage Pro Report — £79

Less than one set of revised drawings. Based on 3,606 decisions.

Compare with nearby councils

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