Planning permission in Winchester

In the last 12 months, 94.4% of home project applications were approved in Winchester (162 decided): extensions, loft conversions and similar work. A typical home project decision takes about nine weeks (median 61 days).

Across all application types, 94.8% of 3,132 applications decided since January 2023 were approved. Based on Winchester's public planning register. Data last updated: 16 August 2026.

4,116Total applications

3,132Decided

94.8%Approval rate (of decided)

2,970 Approved+162 Refused+153 Withdrawn+398 Pending+433 Outcome not determined=4,116 Total

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By Development Category

All applications on record, not only the last 12 months.

Category	Decided	Approved	Refused	Approval rate
Home extensions and alterations (householder)	882	856	26	97.1%
Enforcement	454	450	4	99.1%
Tree works in a conservation area	411	408	3	99.3%
Full planning applications	401	347	54	86.5%
Protected tree works (TPO)	400	381	19	95.2%
Listed Building Consent	171	165	6	96.5%
Certificate of lawfulness (confirming permitted development)	89	85	4	95.5%
Advertisement Consent	62	58	4	93.5%
Certificate of lawfulness (existing use)	37	28	9	75.7%
Prior approval (permitted development)	33	31	2	93.9%
Minor amendment to an approved scheme (S96a)	32	21	11	outcome not determined
Barn to home conversion (prior approval, Class Q)	22	21	1	95.5%
Details in Compliance	20	20	0	no refusals recorded
Other*	118	99	19	mixed types

Minor amendment to an approved scheme (S96a): 120 applications where we could not determine the outcome from the data we hold, so no approval rate is shown.

Details in Compliance: no refusals are recorded in this category for this authority, so no approval rate is shown.

* Other combines smaller categories: Variation of Permission (17), PACOU agricultural to dwelling house (15), Reserved matters (detail after outline approval) (13), HCC Consults (Letter) (11), Outline Planning (10), PA for roof mounted solar PV Panels on (9), PACOU commerical, business,service to dw (8), Environmental impact screening and scoping (7), PA enlargement of a dwelling house by co (5), Demolition (5), PACOU agric to flexi commercial use (4), Phone masts and telecoms (3), Notification (2), Habitat (2), use from commercial business services (2), PACOU Office to Dwelling House (1), S106 Compliance (1), PA erection, extension or alteration of (1), Permission in Principle (1), Hedgerow Removal (1).

Quarterly Trend

The most recent three years. Earlier decisions are included in the totals above but not in this chart.

Quarter	Decided	Approved	Approval rate
Q3 2023	104	95	91.3%
Q4 2023	252	234	92.9%
Q1 2024	253	235	92.9%
Q2 2024	237	225	94.9%
Q3 2024	255	246	96.5%
Q4 2024	275	266	96.7%
Q1 2025	273	263	96.3%
Q2 2025	236	215	91.1%
Q3 2025	266	249	93.6%
Q4 2025	253	238	94.1%
Q1 2026	247	238	96.4%
Q2 2026	55	54	98.2%
Q3 2026 (quarter in progress)	19	19	sample too small

By Ward

The 12 wards with the most decided applications, across all years. 301 further decided applications fall in wards not shown.

Among wards with at least 20 decided applications, approval rates range from 90.3% in DENMEAD WARD to 97.6% in ST MICHAEL WARD, a gap of 7.3 percentage points.

Ward	Decided	Approved	Refused	Approval rate
ST MICHAEL WARD	465	454	11	97.6%
WONSTON AND MICHELDEVER WARD	294	286	8	97.3%
ST PAUL WARD	254	245	9	96.5%
ALRESFORD AND ITCHEN VALLEY WARD	253	240	13	94.9%
BADGER FARM AND OLIVERS BATTERY WARD	251	235	16	93.6%
WHITELEY AND SHEDFIELD WARD	231	209	22	90.5%
ST BARTHOLOMEW WARD	211	204	7	96.7%
ST BARNABAS WARD	207	197	10	95.2%
BISHOPS WALTHAM	168	156	12	92.9%
SOUTHWICK AND WICKHAM WARD	166	157	9	94.6%
THE WORTHYS WARD	159	152	7	95.6%
DENMEAD WARD	155	140	15	90.3%

Frequently asked questions

What is the planning approval rate in Winchester?

In the last 12 months, 94.4% of home project applications (extensions, loft conversions and similar work) were approved in Winchester, based on 162 decided applications. Across all application types, 94.8% of 3,132 applications decided since January 2023 were approved.

How long does a planning decision take in Winchester?

The median time from submission to decision for home project applications decided in Winchester in the last 12 months was 61 days (about nine weeks). Times vary case by case.

Do I need planning permission in Winchester?

It depends on the project and the property. Many home projects fall under permitted development rights, but constraints such as conservation areas, listed buildings and Article 4 directions change what needs permission at a specific address. See our guides to permitted development rights and Article 4 directions.

Do I need a planning consultant in Winchester?

Many home projects do not need one. A straightforward extension on an unconstrained property is often handled directly with the council, or with an architect or agent preparing the drawings. A consultant is more likely to earn their fee where the site is constrained, the council has refused similar schemes, or an appeal is in prospect. Understanding your property's constraints and the council's recent decisions first makes any conversation with a professional a better-informed one.

Planning guides

Not sure what you can build without planning permission? See our guides to permitted development rights, Article 4 directions and planning costs.

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