Which ward in West Oxfordshire has the highest planning approval rate?

Witney South at 97.8% based on 229 decisions.

Which ward in West Oxfordshire has the lowest planning approval rate?

Freeland and Hanborough at 89.7% based on 223 decisions.

How much do planning approval rates vary across West Oxfordshire?

There is a 8.1% gap between Witney South and Freeland and Hanborough. Your postcode significantly affects outcomes.

Planning Approval Rates by Ward in West Oxfordshire

Planning outcomes in West Oxfordshire are highly localised. The gap between the most and least permissive wards is 8.1% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

7,591 real decisions·27 wards·Updated August 2026

All 27 wards ranked

#	Ward	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	Witney South	229	224	5	97.8%
2	The Bartons	220	215	5	97.7%
3	Burford	348	339	9	97.4%
4	Ascott and Shipton	253	244	9	96.4%
5	Alvescot and Filkins	379	365	14	96.3%
6	Kingham, Rollright and Enstone	851	817	34	96.0%
7	Stonesfield and Tackley	351	336	15	95.7%
8	Witney West	188	180	8	95.7%
9	Witney East	141	135	6	95.7%
10	Charlbury and Finstock	395	377	18	95.4%
11	Milton Under Wychwood	198	188	10	94.9%
12	Carterton North East	58	55	3	94.8%
13	Carterton South	93	88	5	94.6%
14	Chadlington and Churchill	325	307	18	94.5%
15	Bampton and Clanfield	301	284	17	94.4%
16	Witney North	140	132	8	94.3%
17	Chipping Norton	365	343	22	94.0%
18	Carterton North West	114	107	7	93.9%
19	Hailey, Minster Lovell and Leafield	416	390	26	93.8%
20	Witney Central	162	152	10	93.8%
21	North Leigh	144	134	10	93.1%
22	Brize Norton and Shilton	247	230	17	93.1%
23	Standlake, Aston and Stanton Harcourt	390	360	30	92.3%
24	Woodstock and Bladon	430	397	33	92.3%
25	Eynsham and Cassington	425	391	34	92.0%
26	Ducklington	191	173	18	90.6%
27	Freeland and Hanborough	223	200	23	89.7%

See how this applies to your postcode →

These are council averages. Your property is specific.

An extension might sail through in Witney South but face serious resistance in Freeland and Hanborough.
Check your postcode to see what actually happens near your address.

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What the data tells us

A 8.1% gap separates the best and worst wards. Witney South approves 97.8% of applications while Freeland and Hanborough approves just 89.7%. That's a fundamentally different planning environment.

High volume doesn't mean high approval. Some of the busiest wards aren't the most permissive. The number of applications a ward processes tells you nothing about how likely yours is to succeed.

Ward averages are a starting point, not a guarantee. Your specific outcome depends on your property, your neighbours, your proposal type and the comparable decisions near your address.

Before you spend £5,000+ on architects and drawings

414 planning applications in West Oxfordshire have been refused since 2020. Many of those homeowners had already paid for drawings and application fees. A free, property-specific report shows you what gets approved — and what gets refused — near your property.

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Free · Property report emailed in minutes · Based on 3,780,000+ real decisions

More West Oxfordshire planning data

Nearby councils ward breakdowns

Methodology: Covers 7,591 planning decisions in West Oxfordshire, January 2020 to August 2026. Approval rate = approved / (approved + refused). Pending, withdrawn and invalid excluded. Ward boundaries reflect current electoral divisions. Data from West Oxfordshire Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →