Which ward in Torbay has the highest planning approval rate?

Collaton St Mary at 86.8% based on 106 decisions.

Which ward in Torbay has the lowest planning approval rate?

Ellacombe at 75.4% based on 224 decisions.

How much do planning approval rates vary across Torbay?

There is a 11.4% 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 11.4% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

3,364 real decisions·16 wards·Updated September 2026

79.3% approved overall. But 696 applications refused since 2020. Where you live in Torbay shifts your odds by up to 11.4%. The council average doesn't tell you which side of that gap you're on.

Check Planning Approval Patterns in Torbay

See your ward's approval rate and nearby planning decisions — free and instant.

Check My Postcode

All 16 wards ranked

#	Ward	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	Collaton St Mary	106	92	14	86.8%
2	Furzeham With Summercombe	359	307	52	85.5%
3	Churston With Galmpton	394	330	64	83.8%
4	St Peters With St Marys	325	271	54	83.4%
5	Preston	388	321	67	82.7%
6	Cockington With Chelston	448	369	79	82.4%
7	Tormohun	665	545	120	82.0%
8	Wellswood	905	734	171	81.1%
9	Shiphay	271	216	55	79.7%
10	Barton With Watcombe	319	254	65	79.6%
11	St Marychurch	479	379	100	79.1%
12	Clifton With Maidenway	170	134	36	78.8%
13	Kings Ash	118	93	25	78.8%
14	Goodrington With Roselands	207	161	46	77.8%
15	Roundham With Hyde	342	259	83	75.7%
16	Ellacombe	224	169	55	75.4%

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.

Check My Postcode

What the data tells us

A 11.4% gap separates the best and worst wards. Collaton St Mary approves 86.8% of applications while Ellacombe approves just 75.4%. 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

696 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.

Check my postcode

Free · Property report emailed in minutes · Based on 3,840,000+ real decisions

More Torbay planning data

Methodology: Covers 3,364 planning decisions in Torbay, January 2020 to September 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 →