Scottish Borders Council Planning Applications

Search and explore Scottish Borders Council planning applications. Planning Signal is your free alternative to the Scottish Borders Council planning portal — search all recent applications, track decisions, and get alerts on new developments in the area.

Region: Scotland

About Scottish Borders Council

Scottish Borders Council is one of Scotland's 32 council areas, located in the picturesque Borders region. It shares borders with West Lothian, Edinburgh, and Midlothian to the north, the North Sea to the east, and Dumfries and Galloway to the south-west, with English counties Cumbria and Northumberland to the south. The largest settlement is Galashiels, while Newtown St Boswells serves as the administrative centre, making it a key area for planning applications and local development initiatives.

Council Planning Features

Planning Applications - Browse all applications submitted to Scottish Borders Council, filterable by status, type, and size
Planning Activity Summary - Approval rates, average decision times, and application type distribution for Scottish Borders Council
Keyword Scorecard - See how often applications in Scottish Borders Council mention key planning constraints like heritage, flood risk, and environmental concerns
Council Boundary Map - Interactive map showing the council boundary and application locations
Full Details - View complete application details, dates and decision status

Council Insights

Property Prices

Average property sale price: £272,144 (based on 50 recent transactions from HM Land Registry).

Area Information

Admin district: Northumberland
Parliamentary constituency: North Northumberland
LSOA: Northumberland 002D

Crime Statistics

0 crimes reported in 2026-03.

Keyword Scorecard

Planning constraint analysis based on the last 24 months of applications in Scottish Borders Council.

Ecology & Wildlife Constraints (keywords: bats, bat survey, bat roost, great crested newt, GCN...)
Trees & Landscape (keywords: tree preservation order, TPO, arboricultural, tree survey, root protection area...)
Flood & Drainage (keywords: flood zone 2, flood zone 3, flood risk assessment, FRA, surface water...)
Heritage & Conservation (keywords: listed building, grade II, grade II*, grade I, conservation area...)
Green Belt (keywords: green belt, inappropriate development, very special circumstances, openness)
Highways & Access (keywords: visibility splays, highway authority objection, access arrangement, parking provision, transport statement...)
Refusal & Risk Indicators (keywords: refusal, delegated refusal, appeal dismissed, overdevelopment, character and appearance...)
Planning Process & Appeals (keywords: appeal lodged, appeal allowed, appeal dismissed, public inquiry, inspector)

Planning Activity Summary

Approval rates, average decision times, and application type distribution for Scottish Borders Council based on the last 24 months of planning data.

Towns and villages in Scottish Borders Council

417 towns and villages. Click any town to search for planning applications nearby.

Flood Risk

No active flood warnings in the Scottish Borders Council area.

Monitoring Stations

4 flood monitoring stations near Scottish Borders Council.

Sprouston (River Tweed)
Norham (River Tweed)
Heaton Mill (River Till)
Pawston (Bowmont Water)

A brief summary of Scottish Borders Council

The average property sale price in the Scottish Borders Council area is £272,144, based on 50 recent transactions.

There were no crimes reported in the Scottish Borders Council area during the most recent reporting period.

Ecology & Nature Designations

The Scottish Borders Council area includes 1 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI): Tweed Catchment Rivers - England: Lower Tweed and Whiteadder SSSI; 1 Ancient Woodland site; 1 Special Areas of Conservation (SAC): River Tweed. These designations may affect planning decisions, as proposals near protected sites require environmental impact assessment and may face additional restrictions.

The council area encompasses 417 towns and villages, including Coldstream, Duns, Eyemouth, Galashiels, Hawick and Innerleithen. Planning applications across these communities can be searched using the postcode search above.

Search Scottish Borders Council Planning Applications

Planning Signal provides a free, fast planning search for Scottish Borders Council. Use the postcode search above to find planning applications near any address in the Scottish Borders Council area. Unlike the official Scottish Borders Council planning portal, Planning Signal lets you save searches, watch individual applications, and receive email alerts when decisions are made or new applications are submitted nearby.

Whether you're a resident checking Scottish Borders Council planning applications near your home, a homeowner tracking your own application, or a property professional monitoring the local market, Planning Signal gives you the tools to stay informed about planning and development across Scottish Borders Council.

Planning Activity

In the last 24 months, 474 planning applications Scottish Borders Council received. Of these, 79% were approved, with an average decision time of 49 days.

This is below the national average of approximately 87%, which may reflect stricter local policies, sensitivity of the area, or higher levels of speculative applications. Pre-application advice is particularly worthwhile in Scottish Borders Council.

The average decision time of 49 days is within the government's 8-week statutory target for minor applications, indicating an efficient planning department.

The most common application types in Scottish Borders Council were outline applications (139), full planning applications (126), listed building and heritage (69).

In terms of development scale, 4 large-scale (major) developments, 168 medium-scale applications, 302 smaller schemes were submitted.

Application Outcomes

Approved: 101 applications
Refused: 15 applications
Withdrawn: 12 applications
Awaiting decision: 346 applications

Related Planning Guides

What Is Planning Permission in the UK? — Planning permission is the formal approval you need from your local council before making certain changes to a building or piece of land.
What Is Permitted Development? — Permitted development rights allow certain building works and changes of use without the need to apply for planning permission.
How Long Does Planning Permission Take? — Typical timelines for planning permission decisions in the UK, from submission to approval, and what can cause delays.