Test Valley planning approval rate
Test Valley council approved 91.3% of planning applications and refused 8.7%, based on 5,995 decisions analysed. Ranked 154th out of 300 councils for strictness.
Last updated: August 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to August 2026
91.3%
overall approval rate
5,995
Decisions analysed
5,475
Approved
520
Refused
27
Wards covered
Planning in Test Valley? 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 Test Valley. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.
91.2%
92.5%
91.8%
79.3%
93.4%
96.2%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Test Valley, mined from 5,995 proposal descriptions.
90.5%
94.5%
95.3%
91.4%
91.7%
96.4%
81.0%
91.8%
95.0%
88.2%
91.9%
98.1%
87.0%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Test Valley. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
MID TEST
92.3%
ANNA
93.6%
CHILWORTH, NURSLING & ROWNHAMS
90.3%
BLACKWATER
85.3%
HAREWOOD
95.0%
AMPFIELD & BRAISHFIELD
89.6%
ROMSEY ABBEY
94.4%
BOURNE VALLEY
95.5%
ROMSEY CUPERNHAM
92.4%
NORTH BADDESLEY
87.6%
BELLINGER
95.0%
VALLEY PARK
95.1%
ANDOVER ST MARYS
83.6%
ANDOVER MILLWAY
92.0%
ROMSEY TADBURN
91.9%
ANDOVER WINTON
89.0%
CHARLTON & THE PENTONS
92.0%
ANDOVER HARROWAY
89.8%
ANDOVER DOWNLANDS
83.3%
ANDOVER ROMANS
86.8%
Wards in Test Valley
MID TEST
92.3% approval · 1,123 decisions
ANNA
93.6% approval · 594 decisions
CHILWORTH, NURSLING & ROWNHAMS
90.3% approval · 496 decisions
BLACKWATER
85.3% approval · 476 decisions
HAREWOOD
95.0% approval · 340 decisions
AMPFIELD & BRAISHFIELD
89.6% approval · 338 decisions
ROMSEY ABBEY
94.4% approval · 324 decisions
BOURNE VALLEY
95.5% approval · 286 decisions
ROMSEY CUPERNHAM
92.4% approval · 262 decisions
NORTH BADDESLEY
87.6% approval · 258 decisions
BELLINGER
95.0% approval · 202 decisions
VALLEY PARK
95.1% approval · 182 decisions
ANDOVER ST MARYS
83.6% approval · 177 decisions
ANDOVER MILLWAY
92.0% approval · 163 decisions
ROMSEY TADBURN
91.9% approval · 161 decisions
ANDOVER WINTON
89.0% approval · 145 decisions
CHARLTON & THE PENTONS
92.0% approval · 137 decisions
ANDOVER HARROWAY
89.8% approval · 128 decisions
ANDOVER DOWNLANDS
83.3% approval · 84 decisions
ANDOVER ROMANS
86.8% approval · 53 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in Test Valley, showing how the council decides real applications.
Front porch and single storey side and rear extension · MID TEST · Wed 05 Aug 2026
Replacement outbuilding · MID TEST · Wed 05 Aug 2026
Demolition of dwelling and ancillary structures, erection of replacement dwellin · MID TEST · Wed 05 Aug 2026
Showing 3 recent comparable decisions. See more in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In Test Valley, 1 in 11 applications are refused. Your PlanningLens Full Planning Analysis gives you 17 pages of intelligence specific to your property:
✓ Ward-level approval rates for your exact area
✓ Common refusal reasons in Test Valley
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for Test Valley →
✓ Common refusal reasons in Test Valley
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free. Based on 5,995 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in Test Valley
What is the planning approval rate in Test Valley?
Based on 5,995 planning decisions analysed since 2020, Test Valley approved 91.3% of applications and refused 8.7%. The council is ranked 154th out of 300 UK councils for approval rate.
How many planning applications are refused in Test Valley?
Test Valley refuses 8.7% of planning applications, roughly 1 in 11. That is lower than the UK average of 11.4%. Out of 5,995 decided applications since 2020, 520 were refused. PlanningLens lets you check any postcode to see which applications were refused near a specific property.
Which areas of Test Valley have the highest planning approval rates?
The highest approval rates in Test Valley are in BOURNE VALLEY (95.5%), VALLEY PARK (95.1%), and BELLINGER (95.0%). Approval rates vary significantly by ward, see the full ward breakdown above.
What types of planning application are most common in Test Valley?
The most common planning application types in Test Valley are: Full (3,006 decisions, 91.2% approved), Trees (2,001, 92.5%), and Listed Building (426, 91.8%).
How long does a planning application take in Test Valley?
Planning applications in Test Valley take an average of 9.6 weeks to reach a decision, measured across 5,973 decisions with a recorded timeline. That is slower than the 8-week statutory target for householder applications (the statutory targets are 8 weeks for householder applications and 13 weeks for major developments). PlanningLens measures the actual time each application takes, not just the target. Test Valley decides approximately 999 planning applications per year.
How do I check planning applications in Test Valley?
You can search planning applications in Test Valley directly on the council's official planning portal. PlanningLens also lets you check any postcode against 5,995 historical decisions in Test Valley to see what's been approved and refused near a specific property.
How is PlanningLens approval rate data for Test Valley calculated?
PlanningLens scrapes Test Valley's official planning portal and analyses every published decision since January 2020. The approval rate is calculated as approved decisions divided by total decided applications, excluding withdrawn and pending applications. The full methodology, data sourcing, and Creative Commons BY 4.0 licensing terms are published at planninglens.co.uk/methodology.