City of Edinburgh vs Glasgow — planning approval compared

How do planning outcomes differ between City of Edinburgh and Glasgow? A side-by-side comparison based on 90,077 combined decisions.

Last updated: May 2026

City of Edinburgh: 89.8%

50,718 decisions · 45,539 approved · 5,179 refused · 38 wards

Glasgow: 88.1%

39,359 decisions · 34,692 approved · 4,667 refused · 23 wards

Overall approval rates

City of Edinburgh (50,718 decided)

89.8%

Glasgow (39,359 decided)

88.1%

By application type

Advertisement — Glasgow (1,912 decided)

82.8%

Certificate of Lawfulness — Glasgow (12 decided)

8.3%

Discharge of Conditions — Glasgow (385 decided)

99.7%

Full — Glasgow (11,493 decided)

87.8%

Listed Building — Glasgow (3,412 decided)

92.6%

Other — City of Edinburgh (50,718 decided)

89.8%

Other — Glasgow (21,655 decided)

87.8%

Prior Approval — Glasgow (490 decided)

94.3%

What the numbers mean

There is a 1.7 percentage point difference in overall approval rates between these councils. Glasgow is the stricter of the two, which means similar applications may face higher refusal rates 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

City of Edinburgh full data Glasgow full data

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