West Oxfordshire Council approves 94.5% of planning applications, based on 7,591 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. West Oxfordshire sits 5.9 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 7,591 decisions analysed since January 2020, the overall approval rate in West Oxfordshire is 94.5%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of West Oxfordshire council planning portal records · Updated August 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 | 3,495 | 237 | 3,732 | 93.6% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 1,418 | 45 | 1,463 | 96.9% |
| Listed Building | 731 | 22 | 753 | 97.1% |
| Trees | 736 | 1 | 737 | 99.9% |
| Other | 335 | 34 | 369 | 90.8% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 230 | 47 | 277 | 83.0% |
| Prior Approval | 155 | 22 | 177 | 87.6% |
| Advertisement | 77 | 6 | 83 | 92.8% |
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 | 817 | 34 | 851 | 96.0% |
| Woodstock and Bladon | 397 | 33 | 430 | 92.3% |
| Eynsham and Cassington | 391 | 34 | 425 | 92.0% |
| Hailey, Minster Lovell and Leafield | 390 | 26 | 416 | 93.8% |
| Charlbury and Finstock | 377 | 18 | 395 | 95.4% |
| Standlake, Aston and Stanton Harcourt | 360 | 30 | 390 | 92.3% |
| Alvescot and Filkins | 365 | 14 | 379 | 96.3% |
| Chipping Norton | 343 | 22 | 365 | 94.0% |
| Stonesfield and Tackley | 336 | 15 | 351 | 95.7% |
| Burford | 339 | 9 | 348 | 97.4% |
| Chadlington and Churchill | 307 | 18 | 325 | 94.5% |
| Bampton and Clanfield | 284 | 17 | 301 | 94.4% |
| Ascott and Shipton | 244 | 9 | 253 | 96.4% |
| Brize Norton and Shilton | 230 | 17 | 247 | 93.1% |
| Witney South | 224 | 5 | 229 | 97.8% |
| Freeland and Hanborough | 200 | 23 | 223 | 89.7% |
| The Bartons | 215 | 5 | 220 | 97.7% |
| Milton Under Wychwood | 188 | 10 | 198 | 94.9% |
| Ducklington | 173 | 18 | 191 | 90.6% |
| Witney West | 180 | 8 | 188 | 95.7% |
| Witney Central | 152 | 10 | 162 | 93.8% |
| North Leigh | 134 | 10 | 144 | 93.1% |
| Witney East | 135 | 6 | 141 | 95.7% |
| Witney North | 132 | 8 | 140 | 94.3% |
| Carterton North West | 107 | 7 | 114 | 93.9% |
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 1.8pp 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 26/01556/LBC Witney West | Internal and external alterations to convert storage area of loft to create seco | Approved |
| 26/01555/HHD Witney West | Conversion of storage area of loft to create second floor bathroom, including in | Approved |
| 26/01534/HHD Burford | Erection of a front extension to provide additional living accommodation, includ | Approved |
| 26/01508/HHD Eynsham and Cassington | Installation of air source heat pump to front elevation of dwelling | Approved |
| 26/01490/HHD Witney East | Erection of a single storey side extension. | Approved |
| 26/01421/HHD Bampton and Clanfield | Construction of front porch and erection of single storey rear extension | Approved |
| 25/02202/FUL Standlake, Aston and Stanton Harcourt | Replacement of existing boat shed | Approved |
| 26/01620/PN42 Eynsham and Cassington | Construction of single storey rear extension with flat roof and associated roof | Approved |
| 26/01493/HHD Freeland and Hanborough | Single storey rear extension | Approved |
| 26/01357/HHD Hailey, Minster Lovell and Leafield | Erection of detached garage and garden shed buildings | 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 7,591 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 7,591 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 7,591 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in West Oxfordshire is 94.5%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 7,591 planning decisions from West Oxfordshire council. 7,177 were approved and 414 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in West Oxfordshire is 94.5%, 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.