Bristol vs Manchester — planning approval compared

How do planning outcomes differ between Bristol and Manchester? A side-by-side comparison based on 25,511 combined decisions.

Last updated: February 2026

Bristol: 88.3%

12,848 decisions · 11,343 approved · 1,505 refused · 34 wards

Manchester: 87.7%

12,663 decisions · 11,108 approved · 1,555 refused · 32 wards

Overall approval rates

Bristol (12,848 decided)

88.3%

Manchester (12,663 decided)

87.7%

By application type

Advertisement — Bristol (413 decided)

86.9%

Advertisement — Manchester (627 decided)

78.8%

Certificate of Lawfulness — Bristol (1,923 decided)

89.8%

Certificate of Lawfulness — Manchester (620 decided)

80.6%

Change of Use — Bristol (165 decided)

66.1%

Change of Use — Manchester (597 decided)

92.1%

Discharge of Conditions — Bristol (525 decided)

92.8%

Discharge of Conditions — Manchester (4,091 decided)

84.7%

Full — Bristol (7,030 decided)

87.6%

Full — Manchester (5,077 decided)

89.7%

Listed Building — Bristol (943 decided)

93.0%

Listed Building — Manchester (519 decided)

97.5%

Other — Bristol (206 decided)

75.2%

Other — Manchester (367 decided)

85.6%

Prior Approval — Bristol (728 decided)

83.2%

Prior Approval — Manchester (94 decided)

77.7%

Trees — Bristol (915 decided)

94.4%

Trees — Manchester (671 decided)

97.0%

What the numbers mean

There is a 0.6 percentage point difference in overall approval rates between these councils. Manchester 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? Don't rely on the average.

Your street, your ward, your specific project — not just the council-wide number.

Get your property-specific risk — free →

See detailed data

Bristol full data Manchester full data