Swansea Council approves 83.0% of planning applications, based on 2,511 decisions from the council’s public planning portal. The national approval rate across the councils PlanningLens tracks is 87.43%. Swansea is 4.4 percentage points below that rate.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 313 decided applications, Swansea Council approved 87.9% of planning applications in 2025. Across 2,511 decisions on record (March 2006 to October 2026), the overall approval rate in Swansea is 83.0%; the national approval rate across the councils PlanningLens tracks is 87.43%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Swansea council planning portal records · Data to 21 October 2026 · Quote freely with attribution
Enter your postcode to see approval patterns for your ward and application type.
This table counts every decided application in Swansea, including types that the headline rate leaves out, so its totals are larger than the headline figure.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | 1,727 | 370 | 2,097 | 82.4% |
| Other | 863 | 145 | 1,008 | 85.6% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 637 | 15 | 652 | 97.7% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 91 | 87 | 178 | 51.1% |
| Prior Approval | 142 | 16 | 158 | 89.9% |
| Advertisement | 116 | 21 | 137 | 84.7% |
| Listed Building | 32 | 1 | 33 | 97.0% |
| Trees | 32 | 0 | 32 | 100.0% |
The free check shows approval patterns for your postcode. The property report follows by email.
Check my postcodeWard-level data reveals where planning applications are most and least likely to succeed. Officers, local policies, and neighbourhood character all play a role.
| Ward | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castle - Bay Area | 323 | 30 | 353 | 91.5% |
| Gower - Area 2 | 275 | 36 | 311 | 88.4% |
| Sketty - Bay Area | 261 | 40 | 301 | 86.7% |
| Uplands - Bay Area | 164 | 63 | 227 | 72.2% |
| Llansamlet - Area 1 | 174 | 23 | 197 | 88.3% |
| Morriston - Area 1 | 156 | 26 | 182 | 85.7% |
| Mumbles - Area 2 | 120 | 35 | 155 | 77.4% |
| Pennard - Area 2 | 122 | 14 | 136 | 89.7% |
| West Cross - Bay Area | 96 | 24 | 120 | 80.0% |
| Oystermouth - Bay Area | 87 | 33 | 120 | 72.5% |
| Cockett - Area 1 | 92 | 18 | 110 | 83.6% |
| Clydach - Area 1 | 91 | 11 | 102 | 89.2% |
| Landore - Area 1 | 91 | 10 | 101 | 90.1% |
| Bishopston - Area 2 | 78 | 21 | 99 | 78.8% |
| St. Thomas - Bay Area | 84 | 14 | 98 | 85.7% |
| Llangyfelach - Area 1 | 87 | 9 | 96 | 90.6% |
| Mynyddbach - Area 1 | 74 | 21 | 95 | 77.9% |
| Mayals - Bay Area | 72 | 18 | 90 | 80.0% |
| Pontarddulais - Area 1 | 75 | 14 | 89 | 84.3% |
| Penclawdd - Area 2 | 64 | 24 | 88 | 72.7% |
| Penderry - Area 1 | 76 | 4 | 80 | 95.0% |
| Gowerton - Area 2 | 65 | 14 | 79 | 82.3% |
| Bonymaen - Area 1 | 66 | 7 | 73 | 90.4% |
| Newton - Area 2 | 65 | 4 | 69 | 94.2% |
| Penllergaer - Area 1 | 60 | 8 | 68 | 88.2% |
Showing the 25 wards with the most decisions, of 44. The property report covers every ward.
See full ward breakdown →How Swansea’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, down 3.5pp since 2018.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Each reference links to the record on the council’s planning portal.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| 2026/1356/FUL Mumbles - Area 2 | Two storey side extension with new under croft garden room under external paved | Refused |
| 2026/1211/FUL Pontlliw And Tircoed - Area 1 | Proposed bow-top boundary fence to match existing in RAL 5010 and one free stand | Approved |
| 2025/2003/FUL Llansamlet - Area 1 | Retention of change of use of existing industrial unit into an indoor padel cour | Approved |
| 2026/1415/FUL Waterfront - Bay Area | Construction of a cycle shelter with a green roof to accommodate 8 cycles | Approved |
| 2026/1409/FUL Llansamlet - Area 1 | Single storey rear extension | Approved |
| 2026/1389/FUL West Cross - Bay Area | Enlargement of existing front dormer and rear roof extension | Approved |
| 2026/1311/FUL Sketty - Bay Area | Roof extension and loft conversion consisting of a raised ridge height, three So | Approved |
| 2026/1596/DOC Castle - Bay Area | Change of use of upper floors to provide 15 residential units, with creation of | Approved |
| 2026/1416/FUL Mumbles - Area 2 | Rear dormer extension, front roof lights, and alterations to single storey rear | Approved |
| 2025/1746/FUL Pontarddulais - Area 1 | Conversion of former chapel to holiday accommodation with provision of vehicular | Approved |
See what has been approved and refused near your address. The property report covers the 20 nearest decisions, refusal patterns in your ward and approval rates by project type, drawn from Swansea's 2,511 decisions.
Check my postcodeCompare Swansea's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
Dig deeper into Swansea'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 Swansea. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 2,511 real decisions from Swansea 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 Swansea'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 2,511 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Swansea is 83.0%. The national approval rate across the councils PlanningLens tracks is 87.43%.
PlanningLens has analysed 2,511 planning decisions from Swansea council. 2,085 were approved and 426 were refused. These figures cover every decision on record for the council, March 2006 to October 2026.
The average approval rate in Swansea is 83.0%, 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 Swansea? 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.