West Suffolk planning approval rate
West Suffolk council approved 94.5% of planning applications and refused 5.5%, based on 13,569 decisions analysed. Ranked 222nd out of 279 councils for strictness.
Last updated: June 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to present
94.5%
overall approval rate
13,569
Decisions analysed
12,828
Approved
741
Refused
43
Wards covered
Planning in West Suffolk? Check your postcode to see approval rates specific to your ward and street.
Approval rate by application type
Different application types have different approval rates in West Suffolk. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.
92.7%
93.7%
100.0%
97.3%
92.4%
75.6%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in West Suffolk — mined from 13,569 proposal descriptions.
97.7%
91.9%
96.4%
95.2%
95.7%
96.8%
98.6%
96.0%
97.0%
91.1%
95.8%
93.0%
100.0%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within West Suffolk. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
Clare, Hundon And Kedington
95.3%
Abbeygate
96.6%
The Fornhams And Great Barton
92.8%
Risby
95.1%
Withersfield
96.3%
Whepstead And Wickhambrook
92.4%
Chedburgh And Chevington
95.1%
Horringer
95.6%
Lakenheath
92.5%
Newmarket East
96.9%
Manor
94.3%
Bardwell
96.8%
Minden
94.9%
The Rows
87.6%
Tollgate
93.4%
Kentford And Moulton
89.6%
Moreton Hall
95.6%
Newmarket North
95.4%
Newmarket West
96.1%
Eastgate
96.8%
Wards in West Suffolk
Clare, Hundon And Kedington
95.3% approval · 993 decisions
Abbeygate
96.6% approval · 949 decisions
The Fornhams And Great Barton
92.8% approval · 595 decisions
Risby
95.1% approval · 571 decisions
Withersfield
96.3% approval · 544 decisions
Whepstead And Wickhambrook
92.4% approval · 542 decisions
Chedburgh And Chevington
95.1% approval · 445 decisions
Horringer
95.6% approval · 433 decisions
Lakenheath
92.5% approval · 425 decisions
Newmarket East
96.9% approval · 421 decisions
Manor
94.3% approval · 407 decisions
Bardwell
96.8% approval · 405 decisions
Minden
94.9% approval · 396 decisions
The Rows
87.6% approval · 386 decisions
Tollgate
93.4% approval · 381 decisions
Kentford And Moulton
89.6% approval · 374 decisions
Moreton Hall
95.6% approval · 361 decisions
Newmarket North
95.4% approval · 324 decisions
Newmarket West
96.1% approval · 306 decisions
Eastgate
96.8% approval · 277 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in West Suffolk, showing how the council decides real applications.
Householder planning application - additional solar photovoltaic (PV) array on a · Ixworth · Tue 23 Jun 2026
Application for listed building consent - a. single storey rear extension, b. re · Horringer · Tue 23 Jun 2026
Householder planning application - a. single storey rear extension, b. replaceme · Horringer · Tue 23 Jun 2026
Showing 3 of 200 comparable decisions. See all 200 in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In West Suffolk, 1 in 18 applications are refused. Your PlanningLens Full Planning Analysis gives you 17 pages of intelligence specific to your property:
✓ Ward-level approval rates for your exact area
✓ Common refusal reasons in West Suffolk
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for West Suffolk →
✓ Common refusal reasons in West Suffolk
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free. Based on 13,569 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in West Suffolk
What is the planning approval rate in West Suffolk?
Based on 13,569 planning decisions analysed since 2020, West Suffolk approved 94.5% of applications and refused 5.5%. The council is ranked 222nd out of 279 UK councils for approval rate.
Which areas of West Suffolk have the highest planning approval rates?
The highest approval rates in West Suffolk are in Haverhill East (100.0%), Haverhill South East (98.5%), and Mildenhall Queensway (98.1%). Approval rates vary significantly by ward — see the full ward breakdown above.
What types of planning application are most common in West Suffolk?
The most common planning application types in West Suffolk are: Full (5,425 decisions, 92.7% approved), Other (3,139, 93.7%), and Trees (2,110, 100.0%).
How long does a planning application take in West Suffolk?
Planning applications in West Suffolk take an average of 11.1 weeks to reach a decision, measured across 13,444 decisions with a recorded timeline. That is slower than the 8-week statutory target for householder applications (the statutory targets are 8 weeks for householder applications and 13 weeks for major developments). PlanningLens measures the actual time each application takes, not just the target. West Suffolk decides approximately 2,262 planning applications per year.
How do I check planning applications in West Suffolk?
You can search planning applications in West Suffolk directly on the council's official planning portal. PlanningLens also lets you check any postcode against 13,569 historical decisions in West Suffolk to see what's been approved and refused near a specific property.
How is PlanningLens approval rate data for West Suffolk calculated?
PlanningLens scrapes West Suffolk's official planning portal and analyses every published decision since January 2020. The approval rate is calculated as approved decisions divided by total decided applications, excluding withdrawn and pending applications. The full methodology, data sourcing, and Creative Commons BY 4.0 licensing terms are published at planninglens.co.uk/methodology.