Which ward in Torbay has the highest planning approval rate?

Collaton St Mary at 86.5% based on 104 decisions.

Which ward in Torbay has the lowest planning approval rate?

Ellacombe at 75.0% based on 220 decisions.

How much do planning approval rates vary across Torbay?

There is a 11.5% gap between Collaton St Mary and Ellacombe. Your postcode significantly affects outcomes.

Planning Approval Rates by Ward in Torbay

Planning outcomes in Torbay are highly localised. The gap between the most and least permissive wards is 11.5% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

5,670 real decisions·16 wards·Updated August 2026

80.9% approved overall. But 1,082 applications refused since 2020. Where you live in Torbay shifts your odds by up to 11.5%. The council average doesn't tell you which side of that gap you're on.

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All 16 wards ranked

#	Ward	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	Collaton St Mary	104	90	14	86.5%
2	Furzeham With Summercombe	355	303	52	85.4%
3	Churston With Galmpton	391	329	62	84.1%
4	St Peters With St Marys	321	268	53	83.5%
5	Preston	382	315	67	82.5%
6	Cockington With Chelston	440	362	78	82.3%
7	Tormohun	653	534	119	81.8%
8	Wellswood	890	723	167	81.2%
9	Shiphay	269	216	53	80.3%
10	Barton With Watcombe	317	252	65	79.5%
11	St Marychurch	470	371	99	78.9%
12	Clifton With Maidenway	169	133	36	78.7%
13	Kings Ash	116	91	25	78.4%
14	Goodrington With Roselands	206	160	46	77.7%
15	Roundham With Hyde	336	253	83	75.3%
16	Ellacombe	220	165	55	75.0%

See how this applies to your postcode →

These are council averages. Your property is specific.

An extension might sail through in Collaton St Mary but face serious resistance in Ellacombe.
Check your postcode to see what actually happens near your address.

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What the data tells us

A 11.5% gap separates the best and worst wards. Collaton St Mary approves 86.5% of applications while Ellacombe approves just 75.0%. That's a fundamentally different planning environment.

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.

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

1,082 planning applications in Torbay have been refused since 2020. Many of those homeowners had already paid for drawings and application fees. A free, property-specific report shows you what gets approved — and what gets refused — near your property.

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Free · Property report emailed in minutes · Based on 3,780,000+ real decisions

More Torbay planning data

Methodology: Covers 5,670 planning decisions in Torbay, January 2020 to August 2026. Approval rate = approved / (approved + refused). Pending, withdrawn and invalid excluded. Ward boundaries reflect current electoral divisions. Data from Torbay Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →