Stockton-on-Tees planning approval rate
Stockton-on-Tees council approved 95.1% of planning applications and refused 4.9%, based on 2,588 decisions analysed. Ranked 252nd out of 300 councils for strictness.
Last updated: August 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to August 2026
95.1%
overall approval rate
2,588
Decisions analysed
2,462
Approved
126
Refused
30
Wards covered
Planning in Stockton-on-Tees? 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 Stockton-on-Tees. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.
95.6%
96.1%
96.6%
96.4%
80.6%
92.3%
84.3%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Stockton-on-Tees, mined from 2,588 proposal descriptions.
96.7%
98.7%
95.1%
88.4%
98.1%
99.0%
93.8%
95.3%
100.0%
87.5%
91.3%
100.0%
36.4%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Stockton-on-Tees. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
Yarm
96.2%
Northern Parishes
96.0%
Eaglescliffe East
92.0%
Eaglescliffe West
93.9%
Billingham South
99.3%
Stockton Town Centre
94.4%
Hartburn
96.7%
Southern Villages
96.5%
Mandale & Victoria
97.2%
Fairfield
97.2%
Billingham West & Wolviston
92.6%
Norton North
95.7%
Ingleby Barwick North
95.1%
Ingleby Barwick South
96.0%
Norton Central
94.5%
Roseworth
98.6%
Village
98.6%
Ropner
90.0%
Hardwick & Salters Lane
97.1%
Norton South
98.5%
Wards in Stockton-on-Tees
Yarm
96.2% approval · 236 decisions
Northern Parishes
96.0% approval · 199 decisions
Eaglescliffe East
92.0% approval · 176 decisions
Eaglescliffe West
93.9% approval · 163 decisions
Billingham South
99.3% approval · 142 decisions
Stockton Town Centre
94.4% approval · 126 decisions
Hartburn
96.7% approval · 122 decisions
Southern Villages
96.5% approval · 115 decisions
Mandale & Victoria
97.2% approval · 108 decisions
Fairfield
97.2% approval · 106 decisions
Billingham West & Wolviston
92.6% approval · 95 decisions
Norton North
95.7% approval · 92 decisions
Ingleby Barwick North
95.1% approval · 81 decisions
Ingleby Barwick South
96.0% approval · 75 decisions
Norton Central
94.5% approval · 73 decisions
Roseworth
98.6% approval · 72 decisions
Village
98.6% approval · 72 decisions
Ropner
90.0% approval · 70 decisions
Hardwick & Salters Lane
97.1% approval · 70 decisions
Norton South
98.5% approval · 68 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in Stockton-on-Tees, showing how the council decides real applications.
Application for replacement pitched roof to existing rear conservatory. · Ropner · Wed 05 Aug 2026
Erection of single storey rear extension, dormer window to side, roof alteration · Southern Villages · Wed 05 Aug 2026
Erection of first floor extension to rear. · Northern Parishes · Wed 05 Aug 2026
Showing 3 recent comparable decisions. See more in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In Stockton-on-Tees, 1 in 20 applications are refused. Your PlanningLens Full Planning Analysis gives you 17 pages of intelligence specific to your property:
✓ Ward-level approval rates for your exact area
✓ Common refusal reasons in Stockton-on-Tees
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for Stockton-on-Tees →
✓ Common refusal reasons in Stockton-on-Tees
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free. Based on 2,588 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in Stockton-on-Tees
What is the planning approval rate in Stockton-on-Tees?
Based on 2,588 planning decisions analysed since 2020, Stockton-on-Tees approved 95.1% of applications and refused 4.9%. The council is ranked 252nd out of 300 UK councils for approval rate.
How many planning applications are refused in Stockton-on-Tees?
Stockton-on-Tees refuses 4.9% of planning applications, roughly 1 in 20. That is lower than the UK average of 11.4%. Out of 2,588 decided applications since 2020, 126 were refused. PlanningLens lets you check any postcode to see which applications were refused near a specific property.
Which areas of Stockton-on-Tees have the highest planning approval rates?
The highest approval rates in Stockton-on-Tees are in Billingham Central (100.0%), Billingham South (99.3%), and Roseworth (98.6%). Approval rates vary significantly by ward, see the full ward breakdown above.
What types of planning application are most common in Stockton-on-Tees?
The most common planning application types in Stockton-on-Tees are: Full (1,072 decisions, 95.6% approved), Other (1,008, 96.1%), and Discharge of Conditions (119, 96.6%).
How long does a planning application take in Stockton-on-Tees?
Planning applications in Stockton-on-Tees take an average of 10.8 weeks to reach a decision, measured across 2,550 decisions with a recorded timeline. That is slower than the 8-week statutory target for householder applications (the statutory targets are 8 weeks for householder applications and 13 weeks for major developments). PlanningLens measures the actual time each application takes, not just the target. Stockton-on-Tees decides approximately 431 planning applications per year.
How do I check planning applications in Stockton-on-Tees?
You can search planning applications in Stockton-on-Tees directly on the council's official planning portal. PlanningLens also lets you check any postcode against 2,588 historical decisions in Stockton-on-Tees to see what's been approved and refused near a specific property.
How is PlanningLens approval rate data for Stockton-on-Tees calculated?
PlanningLens scrapes Stockton-on-Tees' official planning portal and analyses every published decision since January 2020. The approval rate is calculated as approved decisions divided by total decided applications, excluding withdrawn and pending applications. The full methodology, data sourcing, and Creative Commons BY 4.0 licensing terms are published at planninglens.co.uk/methodology.