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Planning Approval Rates by Ward in Swansea

Planning outcomes in Swansea are highly localised. The gap between the most and least permissive wards is 29.4% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

2,873 real decisions·41 wards·Updated March 2026
100.0%
Highest: Cockett - Bay Area
70.6%
Lowest: Mumbles - Area 2
29.4%
Gap
41
Wards
86.1% approved overall. But 399 applications refused since 2020. Where you live in Swansea shifts your odds by up to 29.4%. The council average doesn't tell you which side of that gap you're on.

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All 41 wards ranked

#WardDecisionsApprovedRefusedRate
1Cockett - Bay Area17170
100.0%
2Waterfront - Bay Area22220
100.0%
3Llwchwr - Area 125250
100.0%
4Upper Loughor - Area 225241
96.0%
5Mawr - Area 149472
95.9%
6Penderry - Area 166633
95.5%
7Newton - Area 269654
94.2%
8Castle - Bay Area22320617
92.4%
9Landore - Area 160555
91.7%
10Llansamlet - Area 114713314
90.5%
11Pennard - Area 283758
90.4%
12Llangyfelach - Area 162566
90.3%
13Bonymaen - Area 148435
89.6%
14Morriston - Area 112611214
88.9%
15Penllergaer - Area 151456
88.2%
16Clydach - Area 173649
87.7%
17Dunvant - Area 257507
87.7%
18Lower Loughor - Area 216142
87.5%
19Gower - Area 220117427
86.6%
20Sketty - Bay Area20317429
85.7%
21Killay South - Area 221183
85.7%
22Gowerton - Area 255478
85.5%
23St. Thomas - Bay Area746311
85.1%
24Kingsbridge - Area 253458
84.9%
25Pontarddulais - Area 1716011
84.5%
26Cockett - Area 11099217
84.4%
27Gorseinon And Penyrheol - Area 112102
83.3%
28Mynyddbach - Area 1766313
82.9%
29Gorseinon - Area 234286
82.4%
30West Cross - Bay Area957817
82.1%
31Killay North - Area 238317
81.6%
32Mayals - Bay Area594811
81.4%
33Penyrheol - Area 2645212
81.2%
34Bishopston - Area 2614813
78.7%
35Fairwood - Area 242339
78.6%
36Cwmbwrla - Area 141329
78.0%
37Uplands - Bay Area1058025
76.2%
38Townhill - Area 124186
75.0%
39Oystermouth - Bay Area1158629
74.8%
40Penclawdd - Area 2624616
74.2%
41Mumbles - Area 217125
70.6%
See how this applies to your postcode →

These are council averages. Your property is specific.

An extension might sail through in Cockett - Bay Area but face serious resistance in Mumbles - Area 2.
Check your postcode to see what actually happens near your address.

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What the data tells us

1
A 29.4% gap separates the best and worst wards. Cockett - Bay Area approves 100.0% of applications while Mumbles - Area 2 approves just 70.6%. That's a fundamentally different planning environment.
2
High volume doesn't mean high approval. Some of the busiest wards aren't the most permissive. The number of applications a ward processes tells you nothing about how likely yours is to succeed.
3
Ward averages are a starting point, not a guarantee. Your specific outcome depends on your property, your neighbours, your proposal type and the comparable decisions near your address.

Before you spend £5,000+ on architects and drawings

399 planning applications in Swansea have been refused since 2020. Many of those homeowners had already paid for drawings and application fees. A £79 report shows you what gets approved — and what gets refused — near your property.

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More Swansea planning data

Nearby councils ward breakdowns

Methodology: Covers 2,873 planning decisions in Swansea, January 2020 to present. Approval rate = approved / (approved + refused). Pending, withdrawn and invalid excluded. Ward boundaries reflect current electoral divisions. Data from Swansea Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →
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