Thanet planning approval rate
Thanet council approved 87.1% of planning applications and refused 12.9%, based on 27,009 decisions analysed. Ranked 72nd out of 284 councils for strictness.
Last updated: June 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to present
87.1%
overall approval rate
27,009
Decisions analysed
23,516
Approved
3,493
Refused
23
Wards covered
Planning in Thanet? 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 Thanet. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.
87.1%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Thanet, mined from 27,009 proposal descriptions.
91.8%
85.4%
81.0%
89.1%
87.2%
86.0%
93.0%
81.2%
86.0%
88.7%
92.0%
90.7%
85.6%
87.0%
80.7%
87.8%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Thanet. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
Thanet Villages
90.8%
Margate Central
88.6%
Central Harbour
88.8%
St Peters
89.4%
Viking
89.6%
Bradstowe
89.8%
Westgate-on-Sea
89.1%
Eastcliff
88.4%
Cliffsend And Pegwell
88.1%
Cliftonville West
85.2%
Birchington South
87.5%
Northwood
90.5%
Cliftonville East
88.9%
Birchington North
91.2%
Westbrook
88.3%
Kingsgate
89.9%
Beacon Road
88.7%
Salmestone
91.6%
Nethercourt
89.7%
Sir Moses Montefiore
89.9%
Wards in Thanet
Thanet Villages
90.8% approval · 1,599 decisions
Margate Central
88.6% approval · 1,269 decisions
Central Harbour
88.8% approval · 1,171 decisions
St Peters
89.4% approval · 1,112 decisions
Viking
89.6% approval · 999 decisions
Bradstowe
89.8% approval · 826 decisions
Westgate-on-Sea
89.1% approval · 792 decisions
Eastcliff
88.4% approval · 770 decisions
Cliffsend And Pegwell
88.1% approval · 741 decisions
Cliftonville West
85.2% approval · 670 decisions
Birchington South
87.5% approval · 614 decisions
Northwood
90.5% approval · 613 decisions
Cliftonville East
88.9% approval · 561 decisions
Birchington North
91.2% approval · 547 decisions
Westbrook
88.3% approval · 545 decisions
Kingsgate
89.9% approval · 526 decisions
Beacon Road
88.7% approval · 476 decisions
Salmestone
91.6% approval · 427 decisions
Nethercourt
89.7% approval · 358 decisions
Sir Moses Montefiore
89.9% approval · 306 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in Thanet, showing how the council decides real applications.
FH/TH/26/0053
Erection of two storey rear extension following demolition of single storey sun · Central Harbour · Thu 22 Jan 2026
F/TH/26/0057
Change of use from a 4bed dwelling(C3) to a 4bed HMO for 4 occupants (C4) · Eastcliff · Wed 21 Jan 2026
CD/TH/26/0043
Application for Certificate of Development for proposed loft conversion with hip · Newington · Mon 19 Jan 2026
Showing 3 of 200 comparable decisions. See all 200 in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In Thanet, 1 in 8 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 Thanet
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for Thanet →
✓ Common refusal reasons in Thanet
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free. Based on 27,009 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in Thanet
What is the planning approval rate in Thanet?
Based on 27,009 planning decisions analysed since 2020, Thanet approved 87.1% of applications and refused 12.9%. The council is ranked 72nd out of 284 UK councils for approval rate.
How many planning applications are refused in Thanet?
Thanet refuses 12.9% of planning applications, roughly 1 in 8. That is higher than the UK average of 11.7%. Out of 27,009 decided applications since 2020, 3,493 were refused. PlanningLens lets you check any postcode to see which applications were refused near a specific property.
Which areas of Thanet have the highest planning approval rates?
The highest approval rates in Thanet are in Newington (94.3%), Garlinge (92.5%), and Salmestone (91.6%). Approval rates vary significantly by ward, see the full ward breakdown above.
What types of planning application are most common in Thanet?
The most common planning application types in Thanet are: Other (27,009 decisions, 87.1% approved).
How long does a planning application take in Thanet?
Most planning applications in Thanet are decided within 8 weeks for householder applications and 13 weeks for major developments, the statutory targets set by central government. With 27,009 decisions analysed since 2020, Thanet processes approximately 4,502 planning applications per year.
How do I check planning applications in Thanet?
You can search planning applications in Thanet directly on the council's official planning portal. PlanningLens also lets you check any postcode against 27,009 historical decisions in Thanet to see what's been approved and refused near a specific property.
How is PlanningLens approval rate data for Thanet calculated?
PlanningLens scrapes Thanet'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.