Sutton Council approves 84.1% of planning applications, based on 18,538 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. Sutton sits 4.5 percentage points below the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 1,582 decided applications, Sutton Council approved 87.4% of planning applications in 2025. Across 18,538 decisions analysed since January 2020, the overall approval rate in Sutton is 84.1%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Sutton council planning portal records · Updated August 2026 · Quote freely with attribution
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Not all applications are treated equally. Extension types, listed building consent, and change of use applications each have very different success rates in Sutton.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 8,920 | 1,401 | 10,321 | 86.4% |
| Full | 5,322 | 1,080 | 6,402 | 83.1% |
| Prior Approval | 1,236 | 456 | 1,692 | 73.0% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 81 | 2 | 83 | 97.6% |
| Trees | 29 | 0 | 29 | 100.0% |
| Advertisement | 9 | 0 | 9 | 100.0% |
A loft conversion in one ward can have a 90% approval rate. In the next ward, 55%. The free check tells you which side you're on, your free property report is emailed in minutes.
Check My PostcodeHow Sutton’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, down 0.5pp since 2018.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from Sutton council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| None Carshalton Central | Conversion of loft space involving dormer extensions at the front and rear. | Refused |
| None Worcester Park South | Erection of a single storey rear extension. | Approved |
| None Sutton Central | Erection of a single storey rear extension with steps and alterations to fenestr | Approved |
| None Cheam | Erection of a single storey side and rear extension, alterations to fenestration | Approved |
| None Beddington | Erection of outbuilding. | Approved |
| None Carshalton Central | Prior Approval for a single storey rear extension projecting from the rear of th | Refused |
| None St Helier East | Prior Approval for a single storey rear extension projecting from the rear of th | Approved |
| None Carshalton Central | Erection of a part one, part two storey side and rear extension. Conversion of l | Approved |
| None Sutton North | Erection of a single storey side extension, a single storey rear extension, erec | Approved |
| None Cheam | Resurfacing of driveway and provision of soakaway. | Refused |
Find out what actually gets approved near your address first. Your free property report analyses the 20 nearest decisions to your property, ward-specific refusal patterns, and extension-by-extension approval patterns. Based on Sutton's 18,538 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare Sutton's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
Dig deeper into Sutton's planning statistics, by ward, extension type, or project category:
Data-driven guides to help you understand planning approval patterns:
Yes. PlanningLens offers a free planning permission check for Sutton. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 18,538 real decisions from Sutton council. The full property-specific report is also free and emailed within minutes.
Enter your postcode on PlanningLens for a free instant check based on Sutton's real planning decisions. The free property report goes further: it analyses the 20 nearest comparable decisions to your property, ward-level refusal patterns, and approval rates by application type. Free and emailed within minutes.
Based on 18,538 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Sutton is 84.1%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 18,538 planning decisions from Sutton council. 15,599 were approved and 2,939 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in Sutton is 84.1%, but outcomes depend heavily on your specific ward, the type of extension or development you are proposing, and local planning policy. Use the free PlanningLens postcode check to get a personalised score.
Writing about planning in Sutton? These figures are free to republish with attribution. Copy the one-line citation, or paste the stat box into any website, CMS or newsletter, it carries its own styling and links back to this page for verification.