How to Check What's Been Approved on Your Street

The single most useful thing you can do before any planning application is check what's already been approved nearby. An approved extension three doors down is your strongest evidence. A refused one tells you what to avoid. Yet most homeowners skip this step entirely — and many pay thousands in wasted fees as a result.

Planning decisions are public record. Every application, every decision, every council — it's all published. The problem isn't access; it's knowing where to look and how to make sense of what you find.

Why Checking Nearby Decisions Matters

Planning isn't just about rules. It's about local precedent. Two identical extension proposals can get different decisions in different areas — because councils apply policies differently, streets have different characters, and wards have different approval cultures.

National approval rates are a useful benchmark — we've analysed over 2,500,000 planning decisions across 226 councils — but what really matters is what happens on your street, in your ward, under your council's policies.

Here's what nearby decisions tell you:

• Whether the principle is established. If three houses on your street have rear dormers, the fourth is a much easier sell. If none do, you're asking the council to set a new precedent — harder, but not impossible.
• What design works locally. The approved applications show you the style, size, and materials that your council's planning officers accept in your area.
• What triggers refusal. The refused applications show you the red lines — the proposals that went too far, the designs that didn't work, the issues that mattered.
• How your council behaves. Some councils approve 95% of householder applications. Others refuse 1 in 4. Knowing where yours falls sets your expectations.

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4 Ways to Check Planning Decisions Near You

What to Look for When Checking Decisions

Finding nearby decisions is the easy part. Knowing what to do with them is where most people get stuck. Here's what matters:

1. Find applications similar to yours

An approved rear extension doesn't help you if you're planning a loft conversion. Search for decisions that match your project type — same extension type, similar size, similar property type.

2. Check the most recent decisions first

Council policies change. A decision from 2015 may have been made under different local plan policies. Focus on decisions from the last 3–5 years for the most relevant precedent.

3. Look at the refused ones too

Refusals are as valuable as approvals — maybe more so. They tell you where the red lines are. If three similar proposals have been refused on your street, you know what not to do.

4. Note the refusal reasons

If a refusal cites "harm to the streetscene" or "loss of light to the neighbouring property," you know what your application needs to address. Good architects use refusal reasons from nearby applications to pre-empt objections in your design.

5. Check the ward, not just the street

Your immediate street is the strongest precedent — but if there aren't enough decisions nearby, widen to your ward. Approval rates can vary by 10–20 percentage points between wards in the same council.

Why your postcode matters more than you think →

How Many Decisions Should You Check?

For a straightforward extension in an area with good precedent, 5–10 comparable decisions is usually enough to feel confident. For complex projects — front dormers, two-storey extensions, change of use — you want 20+ comparable decisions to understand the pattern.

The riskier the project, the more research you should do. This isn't paranoia — it's the cheapest insurance you can buy. Ten minutes of research now can save you thousands in wasted architect fees and application costs.

The Mistake Most People Make

Most homeowners do this: they have an idea, hire an architect, pay for drawings, submit an application, and then wait. If it's refused, they've spent £2,000–£5,000 with nothing to show for it.

Smart homeowners do this: they check what's been approved nearby first, then brief their architect with real precedent, then submit an application designed around what they know works locally.

The difference in cost? Minutes of research vs. thousands in wasted fees. The difference in approval rate? Significant.

What To Do Right Now

If you're reading this, you're probably thinking about building something. Here's your next step, depending on where you are:

• Just exploring ideas? Do a free postcode check. See your local approval rate and a few comparable decisions. That alone tells you whether your area is strict or relaxed — and may change what you decide to build.
• Serious about a specific project? Get the Quick Insight (£19). Sixty nearby decisions with analysis of what gets approved, what gets refused, and what it means for your project. Brief your architect with this and you'll save time and money.
• About to submit an application? Get the Pro Report (£79). Two hundred+ decisions, ward-level breakdowns, refusal patterns, appeal data, and recommended next steps. This is the research your planning consultant would charge £500+ to do manually.

The common thread: research before you spend. Architect drawings cost £1,500–£4,000. A planning application costs £258. A refused application wastes both. Ten minutes of research — or £19 for a full analysis — is the cheapest insurance in the process.

The Bottom Line

Checking what's been approved on your street is the single most valuable step in any planning process. It's free, it's public, and it takes minutes. Yet most people skip it and go straight to spending money.

Whether you use PlanningLens, your council's portal, or both — do the research before you spend. The data is there. Use it.