Swale planning approval rate

Swale council approved 89.2% of planning applications and refused 10.8%, based on 416 decisions analysed. Ranked 88th out of 221 councils for strictness.

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

89.2%

overall approval rate

416

Decisions analysed

371

Approved

Refused

Wards covered

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

Full (153 decided)

88.9%

Other (141 decided)

92.9%

Trees (48 decided)

100.0%

Certificate of Lawfulness (40 decided)

77.5%

Listed Building (17 decided)

64.7%

Prior Approval (12 decided)

83.3%

Approval rate by project type

These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Swale — mined from 416 proposal descriptions.

Garage / Parking (71 decided)

80.3%

Rear Extension (65 decided)

78.5%

Change of Use (Residential) (34 decided)

97.1%

Outbuilding (29 decided)

86.2%

Side Extension (27 decided)

88.9%

New Build (18 decided)

66.7%

Conservatory (16 decided)

93.8%

Dormer (15 decided)

73.3%

Extension (General) (12 decided)

100.0%

Approval rate by ward

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

Marden And Yalding (39 decided)

82.1%

Harrietsham, Lenham And North Downs (34 decided)

85.3%

Loose And Linton (26 decided)

92.3%

Headcorn And Sutton Valence (20 decided)

95.0%

Wards in Swale

Marden And Yalding

82.1% approval · 39 decisions

Harrietsham, Lenham And North Downs

85.3% approval · 34 decisions

Loose And Linton

92.3% approval · 26 decisions

Headcorn And Sutton Valence

95.0% approval · 20 decisions

Recent comparable decisions

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

26/500055/FULL

Erection of 1st and 2nd floor rear extension to form 2no residential flats and a · Sheerness · Tue 03 Mar 2026

Refused

26/500056/LBC

Listed Building Consent for erection of 1st and 2nd floor rear extension to form · Sheerness · Tue 03 Mar 2026

Refused

26/500058/LAWPRO

Lawful Development Certificate for proposed two storey rear extension and demoli · Harrietsham, Lenham And North Downs · Tue 03 Mar 2026

Approved

Showing 3 of 180 comparable decisions. See all 180 in the Pro Report →

What gets approved near your property?

In Swale, 1 in 9 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 Swale
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect

Get Swale Pro Report — £79

Less than one set of revised drawings. Based on 416 decisions.

Compare with nearby councils

Maidstone Dover Dartford Sevenoaks

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