West Oxfordshire Council approves 93.1% of planning applications, based on 4,480 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. West Oxfordshire sits 8.1 percentage points above the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 2,153 decided applications, West Oxfordshire Council approved 96.0% of planning applications in 2025. Across 4,480 decisions on record (January 2020 to September 2026), the overall approval rate in West Oxfordshire is 93.1%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of West Oxfordshire council planning portal records · Data to 29 September 2026 · Quote freely with attribution
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Not all applications are treated equally. Extension types, listed building consent, and change of use applications each have very different success rates in West Oxfordshire.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | 3,561 | 241 | 3,802 | 93.7% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 1,463 | 49 | 1,512 | 96.8% |
| Trees | 789 | 1 | 790 | 99.9% |
| Listed Building | 755 | 23 | 778 | 97.0% |
| Other | 342 | 37 | 379 | 90.2% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 238 | 48 | 286 | 83.2% |
| Prior Approval | 157 | 22 | 179 | 87.7% |
| Advertisement | 78 | 6 | 84 | 92.9% |
A loft conversion in one ward can have a 90% approval rate. In the next ward, 55%. The free check tells you which side you're on, your free property report is emailed in minutes.
Check My PostcodeWard-level data reveals where planning applications are most and least likely to succeed. Officers, local policies, and neighbourhood character all play a role.
| Ward | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kingham, Rollright and Enstone | 837 | 37 | 874 | 95.8% |
| Eynsham and Cassington | 404 | 35 | 439 | 92.0% |
| Woodstock and Bladon | 404 | 34 | 438 | 92.2% |
| Hailey, Minster Lovell and Leafield | 401 | 28 | 429 | 93.5% |
| Charlbury and Finstock | 391 | 18 | 409 | 95.6% |
| Standlake, Aston and Stanton Harcourt | 371 | 31 | 402 | 92.3% |
| Alvescot and Filkins | 373 | 14 | 387 | 96.4% |
| Chipping Norton | 350 | 22 | 372 | 94.1% |
| Stonesfield and Tackley | 347 | 17 | 364 | 95.3% |
| Burford | 350 | 9 | 359 | 97.5% |
| Chadlington and Churchill | 317 | 19 | 336 | 94.3% |
| Bampton and Clanfield | 287 | 17 | 304 | 94.4% |
| Ascott and Shipton | 256 | 10 | 266 | 96.2% |
| Brize Norton and Shilton | 235 | 17 | 252 | 93.3% |
| Witney South | 231 | 5 | 236 | 97.9% |
| Freeland and Hanborough | 210 | 23 | 233 | 90.1% |
| The Bartons | 223 | 5 | 228 | 97.8% |
| Milton Under Wychwood | 192 | 10 | 202 | 95.0% |
| Ducklington | 178 | 18 | 196 | 90.8% |
| Witney West | 185 | 9 | 194 | 95.4% |
| Witney Central | 156 | 10 | 166 | 94.0% |
| North Leigh | 139 | 10 | 149 | 93.3% |
| Witney East | 140 | 6 | 146 | 95.9% |
| Witney North | 137 | 8 | 145 | 94.5% |
| Carterton North West | 110 | 7 | 117 | 94.0% |
Showing top 25 of 27 wards by volume. Your free property report includes the full ward breakdown.
See full ward breakdown →How West Oxfordshire’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, up 1.5pp since 2020.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from West Oxfordshire council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| 26/01874/HHD Hailey, Minster Lovell and Leafield | Erection of first floor rear extension along with adjustments to lean-to roof to | Approved |
| 26/01832/FUL Witney South | Alterations to include removal of existing skylight, replace first floor window | Approved |
| 26/01732/FUL Witney East | Erection of a rear first floor dormer window extension to each cottage to provid | Approved |
| 26/01733/LBC Witney East | Internal and external alterations to include erection of rear first floor dormer | Approved |
| 26/01717/HHD Witney East | Erection of first floor side extension. | Approved |
| 26/01988/FUL Eynsham and Cassington | Installation of an outdoor play space | Approved |
| 26/01878/HHD Chipping Norton | Erection of single storey rear extension (retrospective) | Approved |
| 26/01852/HHD Bampton and Clanfield | Erection of a first floor rear extension | Approved |
| 26/02295/TCA Chadlington and Churchill | 5 day notice -6 Ash trees with ash dieback, shedding limbs to be felled. | Approved |
| 26/01841/HHD Witney North | Replace existing summerhouse and shed with oak post open car port. | Approved |
Find out what actually gets approved near your address first. Your free property report analyses the 20 nearest decisions to your property, ward-specific refusal patterns, and extension-by-extension approval patterns. Based on West Oxfordshire's 4,480 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare West Oxfordshire's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
Dig deeper into West Oxfordshire's planning statistics, by ward, extension type, or project category:
Data-driven guides to help you understand planning approval patterns:
Yes. PlanningLens offers a free planning permission check for West Oxfordshire. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 4,480 real decisions from West Oxfordshire council. The full property-specific report is also free and emailed within minutes.
Enter your postcode on PlanningLens for a free instant check based on West Oxfordshire's real planning decisions. The free property report goes further: it analyses the 20 nearest comparable decisions to your property, ward-level refusal patterns, and approval rates by application type. Free and emailed within minutes.
Based on 4,480 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in West Oxfordshire is 93.1%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 4,480 planning decisions from West Oxfordshire council. 4,170 were approved and 310 were refused. These figures cover every decision on record for the council, January 2020 to September 2026.
The average approval rate in West Oxfordshire is 93.1%, but outcomes depend heavily on your specific ward, the type of extension or development you are proposing, and local planning policy. Use the free PlanningLens postcode check to get a personalised score.
Writing about planning in West Oxfordshire? These figures are free to republish with attribution. Copy the one-line citation, or paste the stat box into any website, CMS or newsletter, it carries its own styling and links back to this page for verification.