Press Release

30 July 2026

Fareham tops national planning approval rankings

Fareham Borough Council granted the highest percentage of planning approvals of any council in England, in the 12 months to March 2026.

The Council granted permission for 97.6% of the planning applications that it had decided across the 12-month period, placing it first out of 321 local planning authorities in England.  Fareham Borough Council regularly ranks amongst the country’s best-performing authorities for planning approvals.

This success is underpinned by the Council’s commitment to working with applicants before formal planning applications are submitted, alongside maintaining an up-to-date Local Plan.

The Council actively encourages customers to seek pre-application planning advice, whether they are looking to improve their home, expand or relocate a business, deliver new homes or develop leisure and community facilities.

Through its pre-application planning advice service, the Council can identify the key planning requirements at an early stage before significant time and money are invested, and reduce the risk of unnecessary costs, delays and applications that are unlikely to meet planning policy requirements.

Officers work with applicants to ensure proposals are fully prepared and highlight where possible what is needed to comply with national and local planning policies.

Cllr Steve Dugan, Chairman of the Planning Committee, said: "The Council is very keen to provide advice to all its customers before they submit formal planning applications. Early engagement enables us to identify key planning issues at the outset, helping applicants avoid potentially costly abortive work and ensuring valuable time is not wasted on proposals that may not meet planning requirements.  It also means applications can be processed more efficiently once submitted.  I would encourage anyone considering a development project, large or small, to seek the Council’s advice before making a formal application."

ENDS

Notes to Editor:

Find more information about the Council’s Corporate Priorities in the Corporate Strategy here: www.fareham.gov.uk/corporatestrategy

For further information contact:

Customer Enquiries

Tel: 01329 236100
Email: customerservicecentre@fareham.gov.uk

Media Enquiries

The Communications Team
Tel: 01329 824310
Email: publicity@fareham.gov.uk
Fax: 01329 550576

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