Torfaen planning approval rate
Torfaen council approved 92.5% of planning applications and refused 7.5%, based on 4,903 decisions analysed. Ranked 172nd out of 292 councils for strictness.
Last updated: August 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to August 2026
92.5%
overall approval rate
4,903
Decisions analysed
4,533
Approved
370
Refused
25
Wards covered
Planning in Torfaen? 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 Torfaen. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.
92.8%
90.3%
97.7%
95.5%
96.9%
62.5%
88.9%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Torfaen, mined from 4,903 proposal descriptions.
90.9%
91.1%
95.0%
93.5%
97.7%
91.4%
91.9%
89.8%
91.5%
81.5%
88.6%
89.3%
94.1%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Torfaen. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
Not Applicable
91.8%
Llantarnam
95.4%
New Inn
90.4%
Blaenavon
95.2%
Panteg
93.6%
Pontypool Fawr
94.4%
Abersychan
89.7%
Pontnewydd
91.3%
Two Locks
90.1%
Llanyrafon East And Ponthir
93.3%
St Dials
91.2%
Fairwater
91.4%
Croesyceiliog
93.3%
Llanyrafon West
95.4%
Upper Cwmbran
93.8%
Croesyceiliog South
100.0%
Coed Eva
87.5%
Greenmeadow
96.1%
Trevethin And Penygarn
91.7%
Pontnewynydd And Snatchwood
89.5%
Wards in Torfaen
Not Applicable
91.8% approval · 2,111 decisions
Llantarnam
95.4% approval · 366 decisions
New Inn
90.4% approval · 250 decisions
Blaenavon
95.2% approval · 249 decisions
Panteg
93.6% approval · 220 decisions
Pontypool Fawr
94.4% approval · 196 decisions
Abersychan
89.7% approval · 184 decisions
Pontnewydd
91.3% approval · 183 decisions
Two Locks
90.1% approval · 151 decisions
Llanyrafon East And Ponthir
93.3% approval · 149 decisions
St Dials
91.2% approval · 113 decisions
Fairwater
91.4% approval · 93 decisions
Croesyceiliog
93.3% approval · 89 decisions
Llanyrafon West
95.4% approval · 87 decisions
Upper Cwmbran
93.8% approval · 81 decisions
Croesyceiliog South
100.0% approval · 59 decisions
Coed Eva
87.5% approval · 56 decisions
Greenmeadow
96.1% approval · 51 decisions
Trevethin And Penygarn
91.7% approval · 48 decisions
Pontnewynydd And Snatchwood
89.5% approval · 38 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in Torfaen, showing how the council decides real applications.
Roof space conversion with dormers and alteration to rear roof pitch and ground · Croesyceiliog · Thu 20 Aug 2026
Proposed two storey side/rear extension · Llanyrafon West · Tue 18 Aug 2026
Change of use of outbuilding to a cattery · Pontypool Fawr · Mon 17 Aug 2026
Showing 3 recent comparable decisions. See more in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In Torfaen, 1 in 13 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 Torfaen
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for Torfaen →
✓ Common refusal reasons in Torfaen
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free. Based on 4,903 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in Torfaen
What is the planning approval rate in Torfaen?
Based on 4,903 planning decisions analysed since 2020, Torfaen approved 92.5% of applications and refused 7.5%. The council is ranked 172nd out of 292 UK councils for approval rate.
How many planning applications are refused in Torfaen?
Torfaen refuses 7.5% of planning applications, roughly 1 in 13. That is lower than the UK average of 11.4%. Out of 4,903 decided applications since 2020, 370 were refused. PlanningLens lets you check any postcode to see which applications were refused near a specific property.
Which areas of Torfaen have the highest planning approval rates?
The highest approval rates in Torfaen are in Croesyceiliog South (100.0%), Greenmeadow (96.1%), and Llantarnam (95.4%). Approval rates vary significantly by ward, see the full ward breakdown above.
What types of planning application are most common in Torfaen?
The most common planning application types in Torfaen are: Full (3,011 decisions, 92.8% approved), Other (642, 90.3%), and Discharge of Conditions (520, 97.7%).
How long does a planning application take in Torfaen?
Planning applications in Torfaen take an average of 17.9 weeks to reach a decision, measured across 344 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. Torfaen decides approximately 817 planning applications per year.
How do I check planning applications in Torfaen?
You can search planning applications in Torfaen directly on the council's official planning portal. PlanningLens also lets you check any postcode against 4,903 historical decisions in Torfaen to see what's been approved and refused near a specific property.
How is PlanningLens approval rate data for Torfaen calculated?
PlanningLens scrapes Torfaen'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.