Swindon planning approval rate

Swindon council approved 94.3% of planning applications and refused 5.7%, based on 3,908 decisions analysed. Ranked 176th out of 221 councils for strictness.

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

94.3%

overall approval rate

3,908

Decisions analysed

3,685

Approved

223

Refused

Wards covered

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

Full (1,504 decided)

91.2%

Trees (987 decided)

99.6%

Other (744 decided)

93.0%

Certificate of Lawfulness (546 decided)

94.3%

Advertisement (86 decided)

96.5%

Listed Building (24 decided)

100.0%

Approval rate by project type

These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Swindon — mined from 3,908 proposal descriptions.

Rear Extension (1,075 decided)

93.0%

Side Extension (436 decided)

92.4%

Garage / Parking (347 decided)

91.4%

Conservatory (221 decided)

95.9%

New Build (217 decided)

88.5%

Dormer (143 decided)

87.4%

Front Extension (105 decided)

88.6%

Extension (General) (96 decided)

92.7%

Change of Use (Residential) (83 decided)

83.1%

Outbuilding (60 decided)

93.3%

Wraparound Extension (52 decided)

96.2%

Loft Conversion (19 decided)

84.2%

Annex (13 decided)

84.6%

Approval rate by ward

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

Not Applicable (461 decided)

99.6%

Blunsdon And Highworth (296 decided)

94.9%

Ridgeway (226 decided)

93.8%

Old Town (218 decided)

96.3%

St Margaret And South Marston (185 decided)

95.1%

Chiseldon And Lawn (180 decided)

95.6%

Eastcott (180 decided)

92.8%

Wroughton And Wichelstowe (173 decided)

96.0%

Central (148 decided)

93.9%

St Andrews (143 decided)

96.5%

Haydon Wick (141 decided)

92.9%

Gorse Hill & Pinehurst (128 decided)

89.8%

Rodbourne Cheney (105 decided)

92.4%

Old Town & Lawn (103 decided)

98.1%

Shaw (87 decided)

93.1%

St Margaret (86 decided)

90.7%

Wroughton & Chiseldon (84 decided)

91.7%

Priory Vale (81 decided)

93.8%

Penhill And Upper Stratton (74 decided)

91.9%

Covingham And Dorcan (72 decided)

94.4%

Wards in Swindon

Not Applicable

99.6% approval · 461 decisions

Blunsdon And Highworth

94.9% approval · 296 decisions

Ridgeway

93.8% approval · 226 decisions

Old Town

96.3% approval · 218 decisions

St Margaret And South Marston

95.1% approval · 185 decisions

Chiseldon And Lawn

95.6% approval · 180 decisions

Eastcott

92.8% approval · 180 decisions

Wroughton And Wichelstowe

96.0% approval · 173 decisions

Central

93.9% approval · 148 decisions

St Andrews

96.5% approval · 143 decisions

Haydon Wick

92.9% approval · 141 decisions

Gorse Hill & Pinehurst

89.8% approval · 128 decisions

Rodbourne Cheney

92.4% approval · 105 decisions

Old Town & Lawn

98.1% approval · 103 decisions

Shaw

93.1% approval · 87 decisions

St Margaret

90.7% approval · 86 decisions

Wroughton & Chiseldon

91.7% approval · 84 decisions

Priory Vale

93.8% approval · 81 decisions

Penhill And Upper Stratton

91.9% approval · 74 decisions

Covingham And Dorcan

94.4% approval · 72 decisions

Recent comparable decisions

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

S/HOU/26/0164

Erection of a single storey rear and side extension. · St Margaret And South Marston · Tue 10 Mar 2026

Approved

S/HOU/26/0084

Erection of single storey extension to side and rear elevations. · Chiseldon And Lawn · Mon 23 Feb 2026

Approved

S/25/1644

Erection of security fence and gates. · Blunsdon And Highworth · Fri 30 Jan 2026

Approved

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

What gets approved near your property?

In Swindon, 1 in 18 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 Swindon
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect

Get Swindon Pro Report — £79

Less than one set of revised drawings. Based on 3,908 decisions.

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