Torbay Council approves 79.3% of planning applications, based on 3,364 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. Torbay sits 5.7 percentage points below the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 947 decided applications, Torbay Council approved 85.2% of planning applications in 2025. Across 3,364 decisions on record (June 2021 to September 2026), the overall approval rate in Torbay is 79.3%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Torbay council planning portal records · Data to 29 September 2026 · Quote freely with attribution
Enter your postcode for a free, personalised approval pattern report, based on your ward and application type.
Not all applications are treated equally. Extension types, listed building consent, and change of use applications each have very different success rates in Torbay.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | 1,522 | 346 | 1,868 | 81.5% |
| Trees | 1,384 | 220 | 1,604 | 86.3% |
| Other | 1,009 | 335 | 1,344 | 75.1% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 190 | 86 | 276 | 68.8% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 208 | 26 | 234 | 88.9% |
| Listed Building | 167 | 31 | 198 | 84.3% |
| Prior Approval | 92 | 34 | 126 | 73.0% |
| Advertisement | 85 | 16 | 101 | 84.2% |
A loft conversion in one ward can have a 90% approval rate. In the next ward, 55%. The free check tells you which side you're on, your free property report is emailed in minutes.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wellswood | 734 | 171 | 905 | 81.1% |
| Tormohun | 545 | 120 | 665 | 82.0% |
| St Marychurch | 379 | 100 | 479 | 79.1% |
| Cockington With Chelston | 369 | 79 | 448 | 82.4% |
| Churston With Galmpton | 330 | 64 | 394 | 83.8% |
| Preston | 321 | 67 | 388 | 82.7% |
| Furzeham With Summercombe | 307 | 52 | 359 | 85.5% |
| Roundham With Hyde | 259 | 83 | 342 | 75.7% |
| St Peters With St Marys | 271 | 54 | 325 | 83.4% |
| Barton With Watcombe | 254 | 65 | 319 | 79.6% |
| Shiphay | 216 | 55 | 271 | 79.7% |
| Ellacombe | 169 | 55 | 224 | 75.4% |
| Goodrington With Roselands | 161 | 46 | 207 | 77.8% |
| Clifton With Maidenway | 134 | 36 | 170 | 78.8% |
| Kings Ash | 93 | 25 | 118 | 78.8% |
| Collaton St Mary | 92 | 14 | 106 | 86.8% |
How Torbay’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, up 0.1pp since 2021.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from Torbay council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| AT/2026/0195 Goodrington With Roselands | T1- Pine request to sectional fell/ dismantle to ground level.located on front d | Approved |
| P/2026/0323 St Marychurch | Demolition of existing extension to northwest elevation, formation of single-sto | Refused |
| P/2026/0476 St Peters With St Marys | Roof conversion with installation of rooflights to front and construction of a r | Approved |
| P/2026/0401 Preston | Replacement and extension of terrace with decking to front to include a raised s | Approved |
| P/2026/0400 Wellswood | Construction of raised decking to rear with balustrade (retrospective). | Refused |
| P/2026/0478 St Marychurch | Proposed loft conversion with dormer to rear and rooflight to the front. | Approved |
| P/2026/0474 St Marychurch | Installation of tiered patio, to replace existing raised patio to rear. | Approved |
| AT/2026/0196 Tormohun | T1 Copper Beech: height to be reduced by 1m, target/selective prune on all sides | Approved |
| P/2026/0342 Collaton St Mary | Replacement of window with fire door and glazed side panels and replacement door | Approved |
| AT/2026/0190 Kings Ash | T1 - Sycamore rear of 19 Luscombe rd - Section fell to ground level due to it ou | Approved |
Find out what actually gets approved near your address first. Your free property report analyses the 20 nearest decisions to your property, ward-specific refusal patterns, and extension-by-extension approval patterns. Based on Torbay's 3,364 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare Torbay's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
More council comparisons coming soon.
Dig deeper into Torbay'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 Torbay. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 3,364 real decisions from Torbay 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 Torbay'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 3,364 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Torbay is 79.3%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 3,364 planning decisions from Torbay council. 2,668 were approved and 696 were refused. These figures cover every decision on record for the council, June 2021 to September 2026.
The average approval rate in Torbay is 79.3%, 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 Torbay? 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.