Swindon Council approves 91.6% of planning applications, based on 2,259 decisions from the council’s public planning portal. The national approval rate across the councils PlanningLens tracks is 87.43%. Swindon is 4.2 percentage points above that rate.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 195 decided applications, Swindon Council approved 95.4% of planning applications in 2025. Across 2,259 decisions on record (March 2006 to October 2026), the overall approval rate in Swindon is 91.6%; the national approval rate across the councils PlanningLens tracks is 87.43%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Swindon 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 Swindon, including types that the headline rate leaves out, so its totals are larger than the headline figure.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | 1,846 | 170 | 2,016 | 91.6% |
| Trees | 1,104 | 4 | 1,108 | 99.6% |
| Other | 756 | 58 | 814 | 92.9% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 593 | 42 | 635 | 93.4% |
| Advertisement | 112 | 5 | 117 | 95.7% |
| Listed Building | 52 | 0 | 52 | 100.0% |
| Prior Approval | 18 | 2 | 20 | 90.0% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 6 | 0 | 6 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not Applicable | 460 | 2 | 462 | 99.6% |
| Blunsdon And Highworth | 333 | 15 | 348 | 95.7% |
| Ridgeway | 253 | 16 | 269 | 94.1% |
| Old Town | 240 | 9 | 249 | 96.4% |
| St Margaret And South Marston | 215 | 12 | 227 | 94.7% |
| Chiseldon And Lawn | 199 | 9 | 208 | 95.7% |
| Wroughton And Wichelstowe | 198 | 8 | 206 | 96.1% |
| Eastcott | 189 | 14 | 203 | 93.1% |
| Central | 168 | 13 | 181 | 92.8% |
| Haydon Wick | 157 | 11 | 168 | 93.5% |
| St Andrews | 155 | 8 | 163 | 95.1% |
| Old Town & Lawn | 146 | 3 | 149 | 98.0% |
| Gorse Hill & Pinehurst | 125 | 17 | 142 | 88.0% |
| Rodbourne Cheney | 126 | 12 | 138 | 91.3% |
| Shaw | 93 | 7 | 100 | 93.0% |
| Priory Vale | 89 | 6 | 95 | 93.7% |
| Penhill And Upper Stratton | 82 | 7 | 89 | 92.1% |
| St Margaret | 78 | 8 | 86 | 90.7% |
| Wroughton & Chiseldon | 77 | 7 | 84 | 91.7% |
| Walcot And Park North | 72 | 4 | 76 | 94.7% |
| Covingham And Dorcan | 71 | 4 | 75 | 94.7% |
| Lydiard And Freshbrook | 66 | 3 | 69 | 95.7% |
| Liden, Eldene And Park South | 67 | 2 | 69 | 97.1% |
| Highworth | 60 | 4 | 64 | 93.8% |
| Mannington And Western | 56 | 4 | 60 | 93.3% |
Showing the 25 wards with the most decisions, of 54. The property report covers every ward.
See full ward breakdown →How Swindon’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, down 4.9pp 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 |
|---|---|---|
| S/HOU/26/1072 Priory Vale | Conversion of garage (Retrospective) for ancillary use by host dwelling. | Approved |
| S/HOU/26/1061 Lower Stratton | Erection of single storey side extension, conversion of garage into living accom | Approved |
| S/AMEND/26/1260 Haydon Wick | Non Material Amendment relating to swap the 1st floor side windows either side o | Approved |
| S/HOU/26/1045 Old Town & Lawn | Hip to gable conversion with replacement rear dormer and new front dormer | Approved |
| S/HOU/26/1129 Highworth | Erection of an outbuilding for use as a home office/games room. | Approved |
| S/26/0850 Old Town & Lawn | Subdivision and new roof design to accommodate a second floor to create a total | Approved |
| S/HOU/26/0985 Walcot | Erection of detached domestic garage. | Approved |
| S/26/0683 Queens Park | Change of use from commercial/offices (Class E) to 9no residential flats (Class | Approved |
| S/HOU/26/1126 Blunsdon | Single storey side extension to form new bedroom and associated works | Approved |
| S/LBC/26/1127 Blunsdon | Single storey side extension to form new bedroom and associated works. | 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 Swindon's 2,259 decisions.
Check my postcodeCompare Swindon's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
Dig deeper into Swindon'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 Swindon. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 2,259 real decisions from Swindon 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 Swindon'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 2,259 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Swindon is 91.6%. The national approval rate across the councils PlanningLens tracks is 87.43%.
PlanningLens has analysed 2,259 planning decisions from Swindon council. 2,070 were approved and 189 were refused. These figures cover every decision on record for the council, March 2006 to October 2026.
The average approval rate in Swindon is 91.6%, 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 Swindon? 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.