City of Edinburgh vs Liverpool — planning approval compared

How do planning outcomes differ between City of Edinburgh and Liverpool? A side-by-side comparison based on 98,754 combined decisions.

Last updated: May 2026

City of Edinburgh: 89.8%

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

Liverpool: 88.6%

48,036 decisions · 42,559 approved · 5,477 refused · 104 wards

Overall approval rates

City of Edinburgh (50,718 decided)

89.8%

Liverpool (48,036 decided)

88.6%

By application type

Advertisement — Liverpool (4,113 decided)

87.8%

Certificate of Lawfulness — Liverpool (2,884 decided)

78.4%

Change of Use — Liverpool (17 decided)

58.8%

Full — Liverpool (16,677 decided)

88.7%

Listed Building — Liverpool (3,135 decided)

94.8%

Other — City of Edinburgh (50,718 decided)

89.8%

Other — Liverpool (16,329 decided)

89.9%

Prior Approval — Liverpool (1,175 decided)

69.4%

Trees — Liverpool (3,698 decided)

92.1%

What the numbers mean

There is a 1.2 percentage point difference in overall approval rates between these councils. Liverpool 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 Liverpool full data

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