West Berkshire planning approval rate
West Berkshire council approved 89.5% of planning applications and refused 10.5%, based on 1,247 decisions analysed. Ranked 114th out of 300 councils for strictness.
Last updated: August 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to August 2026
89.5%
overall approval rate
1,247
Decisions analysed
1,116
Approved
131
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.
88.5%
96.4%
89.4%
84.0%
98.4%
100.0%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in West Berkshire, mined from 1,247 proposal descriptions.
88.7%
92.4%
86.4%
91.4%
89.0%
97.5%
72.2%
97.0%
85.7%
95.2%
100.0%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within West Berkshire. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
Hungerford & Kintbury
89.4%
Chieveley & Cold Ash
92.0%
Burghfield & Mortimer
89.6%
Newbury Central
93.4%
Basildon
86.6%
Downlands
92.5%
Bucklebury
88.7%
Ridgeway
93.5%
Newbury Speen
93.4%
Newbury Wash Common
87.9%
Lambourn
92.5%
Aldermaston
84.9%
Tilehurst & Purley
92.2%
Bradfield
80.9%
Pangbourne
83.3%
Newbury Greenham
81.6%
Theale
94.1%
Newbury Clay Hill
97.0%
Tilehurst Birch Copse
81.5%
Thatcham Central
95.7%
Wards in West Berkshire
Hungerford & Kintbury
89.4% approval · 151 decisions
Chieveley & Cold Ash
92.0% approval · 87 decisions
Burghfield & Mortimer
89.6% approval · 77 decisions
Newbury Central
93.4% approval · 76 decisions
Basildon
86.6% approval · 67 decisions
Downlands
92.5% approval · 67 decisions
Bucklebury
88.7% approval · 62 decisions
Ridgeway
93.5% approval · 62 decisions
Newbury Speen
93.4% approval · 61 decisions
Newbury Wash Common
87.9% approval · 58 decisions
Lambourn
92.5% approval · 53 decisions
Aldermaston
84.9% approval · 53 decisions
Tilehurst & Purley
92.2% approval · 51 decisions
Bradfield
80.9% approval · 47 decisions
Pangbourne
83.3% approval · 42 decisions
Newbury Greenham
81.6% approval · 38 decisions
Theale
94.1% approval · 34 decisions
Newbury Clay Hill
97.0% approval · 33 decisions
Tilehurst Birch Copse
81.5% approval · 27 decisions
Thatcham Central
95.7% approval · 23 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in West Berkshire, showing how the council decides real applications.
2 storey side extension, minor changes to existing windows and porch roof and ne · Pangbourne · Fri 14 Aug 2026
Change of use of land to a residential caravan site consiting of 3 pitches, each · Aldermaston · Fri 14 Aug 2026
Proposed single storey rear extension up to 5m depth with a gable roof and roof · Tilehurst Birch Copse · Wed 12 Aug 2026
Showing 3 recent comparable decisions. See more in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In West Berkshire, 1 in 10 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 1,247 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in West Berkshire
What is the planning approval rate in West Berkshire?
Based on 1,247 planning decisions analysed since 2020, West Berkshire approved 89.5% of applications and refused 10.5%. The council is ranked 114th out of 300 UK councils for approval rate.
How many planning applications are refused in West Berkshire?
West Berkshire refuses 10.5% of planning applications, roughly 1 in 10. That is close to the UK average of 11.4%. Out of 1,247 decided applications since 2020, 131 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 Ridgeway (93.5%), Newbury Central (93.4%), and Newbury Speen (93.4%). 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 (503 decisions, 88.5% approved), Trees (249, 96.4%), and Discharge of Conditions (199, 89.4%).
How long does a planning application take in West Berkshire?
Planning applications in West Berkshire take an average of 10.3 weeks to reach a decision, measured across 1,241 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 208 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 1,247 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.