Sutton planning approval rate

Sutton council approved 83.9% of planning applications and refused 16.1%, based on 17,407 decisions analysed. Ranked 34th out of 221 councils for strictness.

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

83.9%

overall approval rate

17,407

Decisions analysed

14,598

Approved

2,809

Refused

Wards covered

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

Other (9,900 decided)

86.5%

Full (5,879 decided)

82.5%

Prior Approval (1,628 decided)

72.9%

Approval rate by project type

These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Sutton — mined from 17,407 proposal descriptions.

Rear Extension (6,821 decided)

79.4%

Garage / Parking (3,963 decided)

82.6%

Dormer (2,964 decided)

82.3%

Side Extension (2,890 decided)

78.7%

Extension (General) (2,069 decided)

88.4%

New Build (1,030 decided)

77.5%

Wraparound Extension (1,004 decided)

78.3%

Flat Conversion (912 decided)

91.8%

Change of Use (Residential) (908 decided)

82.2%

Front Extension (897 decided)

77.0%

Outbuilding (792 decided)

81.6%

Hip-to-Gable Conversion (424 decided)

82.5%

Conservatory (410 decided)

84.1%

Basement (227 decided)

84.1%

HMO (157 decided)

74.5%

Annex (149 decided)

75.2%

Loft Conversion (129 decided)

77.5%

Approval rate by ward

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

A04 (590 decided)

76.4%

W05 (547 decided)

75.0%

A02 (498 decided)

81.5%

C14 (469 decided)

81.0%

C13 (460 decided)

81.5%

A01 (459 decided)

78.0%

A03 (458 decided)

76.2%

SUTTON CENTRAL (445 decided)

99.8%

D18 (409 decided)

80.2%

E05 (393 decided)

80.2%

D17 (387 decided)

82.7%

B06 (374 decided)

84.0%

E09 (361 decided)

80.9%

E06 (355 decided)

83.7%

B05 (353 decided)

77.6%

W03 (341 decided)

83.0%

D15 (340 decided)

81.2%

C10 (339 decided)

77.3%

D16 (332 decided)

78.0%

W10 (322 decided)

76.4%

Wards in Sutton

Recent comparable decisions

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

DM2026/00025

Change of use from Class C3 (Dwelling House) to Class C4 (Small HMO). · St Helier East · 09/03/2026

Approved

DM2026/00019

Erection of a part one, part two front, side and rear extension involving altera · North Cheam · 09/03/2026

Approved

DM2026/00037

Erection of a single storey rear extension. · Worcester Park South · 09/03/2026

Approved

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

What gets approved near your property?

In Sutton, 1 in 6 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 Sutton
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect

Get Sutton Pro Report — £79

Less than one set of revised drawings. Based on 17,407 decisions.

Compare with nearby councils

Croydon Epsom & Ewell Wandsworth

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