Planning Approval Rate in Exmoor National Park

Exmoor National Park is in the more approving third of English authorities, granting 92.5% of the applications it decides (rank 80th of 310). That puts it somewhat more approving than the England average — 92.5% approved against an England average of 87%. Within National Parks it is the 4th most approving of 10 local planning authorities, where the regional average is 91.2%. Refusals are uncommon here: 12 of its 161 decisions were refusals (7.5%). On the split by scale it is far tougher on major schemes than on small ones: 0% of major developments approved versus 95.7% of householder and other small-scale work, from 1 major decision.

On timing it is among the faster authorities, deciding 98.8% of applications within the statutory period against 90.6% nationally. Its figures rest on a relatively light caseload of 161 decisions over 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2025, where the typical English authority decides around 783. Among its National Parks neighbours it sits between The Broads Authority (94.1%, more approving) and Yorkshire Dales National Park (92%, stricter). For context in National Parks, Northumberland National Park approves the most (94.6%) and Peak District National Park the least (86.5%).