Barnet vs Tower Hamlets — planning approval compared

How do planning outcomes differ between Barnet and Tower Hamlets? A side-by-side comparison based on 90,607 combined decisions.

Last updated: March 2026

Barnet: 81.8%

53,399 decisions · 43,683 approved · 9,716 refused · 66 wards

Tower Hamlets: 88.6%

37,208 decisions · 32,960 approved · 4,248 refused · 31 wards

Overall approval rates

Barnet (53,399 decided)

81.8%

Tower Hamlets (37,208 decided)

88.6%

By application type

Advertisement — Tower Hamlets (517 decided)

82.0%

Discharge of Conditions — Tower Hamlets (3,070 decided)

97.2%

Full — Barnet (13,168 decided)

85.0%

Full — Tower Hamlets (5,826 decided)

79.7%

Listed Building — Tower Hamlets (830 decided)

88.2%

Other — Barnet (36,105 decided)

84.3%

Other — Tower Hamlets (25,901 decided)

89.4%

Prior Approval — Barnet (4,126 decided)

50.0%

Prior Approval — Tower Hamlets (289 decided)

85.8%

Trees — Tower Hamlets (775 decided)

98.6%

What the numbers mean

There is a 6.8 percentage point difference in overall approval rates between these councils. Barnet is the stricter of the two, which means similar applications may face higher refusal risk there. However, approval rates vary by ward and application type, so your specific situation may differ from the averages.

🔍 Planning in your area? Check your postcode to see approval rates specific to your ward and street.

See detailed data

Barnet full data Tower Hamlets full data