West Berkshire planning approval rate
West Berkshire council approved 88.8% of planning applications and refused 11.2%, based on 947 decisions analysed. Ranked 102nd out of 284 councils for strictness.
Last updated: June 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to present
88.8%
overall approval rate
947
Decisions analysed
841
Approved
106
Refused
24
Wards covered
Planning in West Berkshire? 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 West Berkshire. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.
86.8%
96.9%
89.7%
84.5%
98.0%
100.0%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in West Berkshire, mined from 947 proposal descriptions.
88.2%
92.7%
84.4%
92.8%
90.9%
96.7%
70.4%
100.0%
83.3%
93.8%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within West Berkshire. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
Hungerford & Kintbury
89.6%
Chieveley & Cold Ash
90.9%
Newbury Central
91.9%
Burghfield & Mortimer
86.9%
Ridgeway
92.3%
Downlands
94.2%
Newbury Speen
94.1%
Bucklebury
86.4%
Basildon
81.0%
Lambourn
92.9%
Bradfield
80.5%
Newbury Wash Common
90.2%
Tilehurst & Purley
94.7%
Aldermaston
85.3%
Newbury Greenham
81.2%
Pangbourne
76.7%
Theale
96.4%
Newbury Clay Hill
95.5%
Tilehurst Birch Copse
85.0%
Wards in West Berkshire
Hungerford & Kintbury
89.6% approval · 115 decisions
Chieveley & Cold Ash
90.9% approval · 66 decisions
Newbury Central
91.9% approval · 62 decisions
Burghfield & Mortimer
86.9% approval · 61 decisions
Ridgeway
92.3% approval · 52 decisions
Downlands
94.2% approval · 52 decisions
Newbury Speen
94.1% approval · 51 decisions
Bucklebury
86.4% approval · 44 decisions
Basildon
81.0% approval · 42 decisions
Lambourn
92.9% approval · 42 decisions
Bradfield
80.5% approval · 41 decisions
Newbury Wash Common
90.2% approval · 41 decisions
Tilehurst & Purley
94.7% approval · 38 decisions
Aldermaston
85.3% approval · 34 decisions
Newbury Greenham
81.2% approval · 32 decisions
Pangbourne
76.7% approval · 30 decisions
Theale
96.4% approval · 28 decisions
Newbury Clay Hill
95.5% approval · 22 decisions
Tilehurst Birch Copse
85.0% approval · 20 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in West Berkshire, showing how the council decides real applications.
New 1st floor window. · Downlands · Mon 22 Jun 2026
Electric socket on outside wall · Hungerford & Kintbury · Mon 22 Jun 2026
Single storey rear extension, porch extension, garage conversion and extension. · Chieveley & Cold Ash · Mon 22 Jun 2026
Showing 3 of 200 comparable decisions. See all 200 in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In West Berkshire, 1 in 9 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 West Berkshire
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for West Berkshire →
✓ Common refusal reasons in West Berkshire
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free. Based on 947 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in West Berkshire
What is the planning approval rate in West Berkshire?
Based on 947 planning decisions analysed since 2020, West Berkshire approved 88.8% of applications and refused 11.2%. The council is ranked 102nd out of 284 UK councils for approval rate.
How many planning applications are refused in West Berkshire?
West Berkshire refuses 11.2% of planning applications, roughly 1 in 9. That is close to the UK average of 11.7%. Out of 947 decided applications since 2020, 106 were refused. PlanningLens lets you check any postcode to see which applications were refused near a specific property.
Which areas of West Berkshire have the highest planning approval rates?
The highest approval rates in West Berkshire are in Downlands (94.2%), Newbury Speen (94.1%), and Ridgeway (92.3%). Approval rates vary significantly by ward, see the full ward breakdown above.
What types of planning application are most common in West Berkshire?
The most common planning application types in West Berkshire are: Full (385 decisions, 86.8% approved), Trees (191, 96.9%), and Discharge of Conditions (155, 89.7%).
How long does a planning application take in West Berkshire?
Planning applications in West Berkshire take an average of 10.6 weeks to reach a decision, measured across 942 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. West Berkshire decides approximately 158 planning applications per year.
How do I check planning applications in West Berkshire?
You can search planning applications in West Berkshire directly on the council's official planning portal. PlanningLens also lets you check any postcode against 947 historical decisions in West Berkshire to see what's been approved and refused near a specific property.
How is PlanningLens approval rate data for West Berkshire calculated?
PlanningLens scrapes West Berkshire'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.