West Oxfordshire planning approval rate
West Oxfordshire council approved 94.5% of planning applications and refused 5.5%, based on 7,254 decisions analysed. Ranked 226th out of 284 councils for strictness.
Last updated: June 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to present
94.5%
overall approval rate
7,254
Decisions analysed
6,857
Approved
397
Refused
27
Wards covered
Planning in West Oxfordshire? 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 Oxfordshire. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.
93.7%
96.9%
97.2%
99.9%
91.1%
87.4%
92.3%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in West Oxfordshire, mined from 7,254 proposal descriptions.
91.8%
95.9%
95.6%
95.2%
84.9%
96.1%
96.5%
97.9%
95.9%
88.8%
94.5%
100.0%
96.4%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within West Oxfordshire. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
Kingham, Rollright and Enstone
96.2%
Woodstock and Bladon
92.0%
Eynsham and Cassington
91.8%
Hailey, Minster Lovell and Leafield
93.8%
Charlbury and Finstock
96.0%
Standlake, Aston and Stanton Harcourt
92.0%
Alvescot and Filkins
96.1%
Chipping Norton
93.8%
Stonesfield and Tackley
95.5%
Burford
97.3%
Chadlington and Churchill
94.6%
Bampton and Clanfield
94.3%
Ascott and Shipton
96.2%
Brize Norton and Shilton
93.2%
Witney South
97.7%
Freeland and Hanborough
89.7%
The Bartons
98.1%
Milton Under Wychwood
94.8%
Ducklington
90.1%
Witney West
95.6%
Wards in West Oxfordshire
Kingham, Rollright and Enstone
96.2% approval · 809 decisions
Woodstock and Bladon
92.0% approval · 411 decisions
Eynsham and Cassington
91.8% approval · 403 decisions
Hailey, Minster Lovell and Leafield
93.8% approval · 400 decisions
Charlbury and Finstock
96.0% approval · 376 decisions
Standlake, Aston and Stanton Harcourt
92.0% approval · 374 decisions
Alvescot and Filkins
96.1% approval · 362 decisions
Chipping Norton
93.8% approval · 353 decisions
Stonesfield and Tackley
95.5% approval · 336 decisions
Burford
97.3% approval · 331 decisions
Chadlington and Churchill
94.6% approval · 316 decisions
Bampton and Clanfield
94.3% approval · 281 decisions
Ascott and Shipton
96.2% approval · 236 decisions
Brize Norton and Shilton
93.2% approval · 235 decisions
Witney South
97.7% approval · 218 decisions
Freeland and Hanborough
89.7% approval · 214 decisions
The Bartons
98.1% approval · 210 decisions
Milton Under Wychwood
94.8% approval · 194 decisions
Ducklington
90.1% approval · 182 decisions
Witney West
95.6% approval · 180 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in West Oxfordshire, showing how the council decides real applications.
Erection of single storey rear extension (6m x 2.9m, height to eaves/3.45m, max. · The Bartons · Mon 22 Jun 2026
Replacement of ten windows to south elevation and one window to east elevation · The Bartons · Mon 22 Jun 2026
Erection of a single storey rear extension, and associated works · Charlbury and Finstock · Fri 19 Jun 2026
Showing 3 of 200 comparable decisions. See all 200 in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In West Oxfordshire, 1 in 18 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 Oxfordshire
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for West Oxfordshire →
✓ Common refusal reasons in West Oxfordshire
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free. Based on 7,254 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in West Oxfordshire
What is the planning approval rate in West Oxfordshire?
Based on 7,254 planning decisions analysed since 2020, West Oxfordshire approved 94.5% of applications and refused 5.5%. The council is ranked 226th out of 284 UK councils for approval rate.
How many planning applications are refused in West Oxfordshire?
West Oxfordshire refuses 5.5% of planning applications, roughly 1 in 18. That is lower than the UK average of 11.7%. Out of 7,254 decided applications since 2020, 397 were refused. PlanningLens lets you check any postcode to see which applications were refused near a specific property.
Which areas of West Oxfordshire have the highest planning approval rates?
The highest approval rates in West Oxfordshire are in The Bartons (98.1%), Witney South (97.7%), and Burford (97.3%). Approval rates vary significantly by ward, see the full ward breakdown above.
What types of planning application are most common in West Oxfordshire?
The most common planning application types in West Oxfordshire are: Full (3,591 decisions, 93.7% approved), Discharge of Conditions (1,398, 96.9%), and Listed Building (714, 97.2%).
How long does a planning application take in West Oxfordshire?
Planning applications in West Oxfordshire take an average of 9.5 weeks to reach a decision, measured across 7,242 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 Oxfordshire decides approximately 1,209 planning applications per year.
How do I check planning applications in West Oxfordshire?
You can search planning applications in West Oxfordshire directly on the council's official planning portal. PlanningLens also lets you check any postcode against 7,254 historical decisions in West Oxfordshire to see what's been approved and refused near a specific property.
How is PlanningLens approval rate data for West Oxfordshire calculated?
PlanningLens scrapes West Oxfordshire'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.