West Suffolk Council approves 91.4% of planning applications, based on 23,027 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. West Suffolk sits 6.4 percentage points above the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 2,153 decided applications, West Suffolk Council approved 93.2% of planning applications in 2025. Across 23,027 decisions on record (April 2008 to September 2026), the overall approval rate in West Suffolk is 91.4%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of West Suffolk 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 Suffolk.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | 17,710 | 1,499 | 19,209 | 92.2% |
| Other | 8,429 | 621 | 9,050 | 93.1% |
| Trees | 5,249 | 7 | 5,256 | 99.9% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 4,582 | 144 | 4,726 | 97.0% |
| Advertisement | 893 | 100 | 993 | 89.9% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 717 | 72 | 789 | 90.9% |
| Prior Approval | 287 | 117 | 404 | 71.0% |
| Change of Use | 5 | 0 | 5 | 100.0% |
| Listed Building | 3 | 0 | 3 | 100.0% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abbeygate | 2,913 | 177 | 3,090 | 94.3% |
| Clare, Hundon And Kedington | 2,826 | 171 | 2,997 | 94.3% |
| The Fornhams And Great Barton | 1,531 | 116 | 1,647 | 93.0% |
| Risby | 1,453 | 86 | 1,539 | 94.4% |
| Newmarket East | 1,435 | 73 | 1,508 | 95.2% |
| Whepstead And Wickhambrook | 1,392 | 100 | 1,492 | 93.3% |
| Minden | 1,308 | 107 | 1,415 | 92.4% |
| Withersfield | 1,312 | 51 | 1,363 | 96.3% |
| The Rows | 1,199 | 157 | 1,356 | 88.4% |
| Chedburgh And Chevington | 1,176 | 67 | 1,243 | 94.6% |
| Lakenheath | 1,106 | 103 | 1,209 | 91.5% |
| Horringer | 1,129 | 59 | 1,188 | 95.0% |
| Bardwell | 1,093 | 58 | 1,151 | 95.0% |
| Manor | 1,048 | 78 | 1,126 | 93.1% |
| Moreton Hall | 1,030 | 50 | 1,080 | 95.4% |
| Kentford And Moulton | 970 | 79 | 1,049 | 92.5% |
| Newmarket West | 977 | 67 | 1,044 | 93.6% |
| Tollgate | 956 | 61 | 1,017 | 94.0% |
| Eastgate | 922 | 40 | 962 | 95.8% |
| Newmarket North | 791 | 48 | 839 | 94.3% |
| Barningham | 777 | 55 | 832 | 93.4% |
| Barrow | 745 | 57 | 802 | 92.9% |
| Exning | 755 | 46 | 801 | 94.3% |
| Southgate | 740 | 35 | 775 | 95.5% |
| Westgate | 707 | 46 | 753 | 93.9% |
Showing top 25 of 48 wards by volume. Your free property report includes the full ward breakdown.
See full ward breakdown →How West Suffolk’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, up 1.2pp since 2018.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from West Suffolk council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| DC/26/1258/HPA Tollgate | Householder prior approval - single storey rear extension which extends beyond t | Approved |
| DC/26/1145/HH Moreton Hall | Householder planning application - single storey rear extension | Approved |
| DCON(A)/24/1525 Newmarket West | Application to discharge condition 5 (new/replacement doors) of application DC/2 | Approved |
| DC/26/0791/HH Haverhill Central | Householder planning application - two storey front extension | Approved |
| DC/26/1160/FUL Abbeygate | Planning application - painting of shop frontage to include fascia, brickwork, w | Approved |
| DC/26/1133/HH Mildenhall Great Heath | Householder planning application - external wall insulation to front and rear el | Approved |
| DC/26/1114/FUL Clare, Hundon And Kedington | Planning application - installation of windows and doors on south and west eleva | Approved |
| DC/26/0267/FUL The Rows | Planning application - one dwelling and vehicular access (following demolition o | Approved |
| DC/26/1100/HH Chedburgh And Chevington | Householder planning application - single storey front extension | Approved |
| DC/26/1061/LB Abbeygate | Application for listed building consent - a. internal alterations to form surger | 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 Suffolk's 23,027 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare West Suffolk's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
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Dig deeper into West Suffolk'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 Suffolk. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 23,027 real decisions from West Suffolk 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 Suffolk'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 23,027 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in West Suffolk is 91.4%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 23,027 planning decisions from West Suffolk council. 21,055 were approved and 1,972 were refused. These figures cover every decision on record for the council, April 2008 to September 2026.
The average approval rate in West Suffolk is 91.4%, 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 Suffolk? 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.