West Suffolk Council approves 94.5% of planning applications, based on 14,250 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.5%. West Suffolk sits 6.0 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 14,250 decisions analysed since January 2020, the overall approval rate in West Suffolk is 94.5%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.5%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of West Suffolk council planning portal records · Updated June 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 | 5,295 | 418 | 5,713 | 92.7% |
| Other | 3,104 | 213 | 3,317 | 93.6% |
| Trees | 2,212 | 0 | 2,212 | 100.0% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 2,131 | 60 | 2,191 | 97.3% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 339 | 25 | 364 | 93.1% |
| Advertisement | 224 | 19 | 243 | 92.2% |
| Prior Approval | 159 | 51 | 210 | 75.7% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clare, Hundon And Kedington | 994 | 51 | 1,045 | 95.1% |
| Abbeygate | 959 | 32 | 991 | 96.8% |
| The Fornhams And Great Barton | 587 | 46 | 633 | 92.7% |
| Risby | 565 | 30 | 595 | 95.0% |
| Whepstead And Wickhambrook | 529 | 42 | 571 | 92.6% |
| Withersfield | 538 | 21 | 559 | 96.2% |
| Chedburgh And Chevington | 443 | 23 | 466 | 95.1% |
| Horringer | 436 | 19 | 455 | 95.8% |
| Newmarket East | 433 | 13 | 446 | 97.1% |
| Lakenheath | 406 | 34 | 440 | 92.3% |
| Manor | 403 | 25 | 428 | 94.2% |
| Bardwell | 405 | 17 | 422 | 96.0% |
| The Rows | 363 | 51 | 414 | 87.7% |
| Tollgate | 387 | 26 | 413 | 93.7% |
| Minden | 389 | 20 | 409 | 95.1% |
| Kentford And Moulton | 345 | 39 | 384 | 89.8% |
| Moreton Hall | 366 | 17 | 383 | 95.6% |
| Newmarket North | 324 | 15 | 339 | 95.6% |
| Newmarket West | 305 | 12 | 317 | 96.2% |
| Eastgate | 287 | 10 | 297 | 96.6% |
| Exning | 276 | 11 | 287 | 96.2% |
| Rougham | 253 | 23 | 276 | 91.7% |
| Southgate | 254 | 15 | 269 | 94.4% |
| Barrow | 255 | 13 | 268 | 95.1% |
| Barningham | 246 | 19 | 265 | 92.8% |
Showing top 25 of 43 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 2.2pp since 2019.
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/26/0583/HH Ixworth | Householder planning application - additional solar photovoltaic (PV) array on a | Approved |
| DC/26/0575/LB Horringer | Application for listed building consent - a. single storey rear extension, b. re | Approved |
| DC/26/0574/HH Horringer | Householder planning application - a. single storey rear extension, b. replaceme | Approved |
| DC/26/0547/FUL St Olaves | Planning application - change of use from car showroom (Sui Generis) to general | Approved |
| DC/26/0507/FUL Haverhill North | Planning application - a. one self-build dwelling b. alterations to access c. ga | Approved |
| DC/26/0629/FUL Manor | Planning application - a. one self build dwelling b. convert existing two dwelli | Refused |
| DC/26/0607/FUL Stanton | Planning application - replacement doors and windows | Approved |
| DC/26/0586/HH Tollgate | Householder planning application - existing lightwell cover replaced with roof l | Approved |
| DC/25/1989/FUL The Rows | Planning application - one dwelling | Approved |
| NMA(A)/23/0435 Bardwell | Non material amendment to DC/23/0435/FUL - alterations to access specifications | 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 14,250 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare West Suffolk's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
More council comparisons coming soon.
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 14,250 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 14,250 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in West Suffolk is 94.5%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.5%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 14,250 planning decisions from West Suffolk council. 13,464 were approved and 786 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in West Suffolk 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 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.