Elmbridge vs Westminster, planning approval compared

How do planning outcomes differ between Elmbridge and Westminster? A side-by-side comparison based on 111,286 combined decisions.

Last updated: September 2026

Elmbridge: 80.7%

54,667 decisions · 44,132 approved · 10,535 refused · 56 wards

Westminster: 90.5%

56,619 decisions · 51,212 approved · 5,407 refused · 99 wards

Overall approval rates

Elmbridge (54,667 decided)

80.7%

Westminster (56,619 decided)

90.5%

By application type

Advertisement, Elmbridge (1,697 decided)

76.4%

Certificate of Lawfulness, Elmbridge (6,994 decided)

80.6%

Change of Use, Elmbridge (268 decided)

1.9%

Discharge of Conditions, Elmbridge (3,704 decided)

61.6%

Full, Elmbridge (50,276 decided)

81.0%

Full, Westminster (75 decided)

89.3%

Listed Building, Elmbridge (1,035 decided)

89.5%

Other, Elmbridge (2,819 decided)

66.8%

Other, Westminster (65,879 decided)

90.8%

Prior Approval, Elmbridge (867 decided)

63.0%

Prior Approval, Westminster (228 decided)

78.1%

Trees, Elmbridge (6,127 decided)

74.0%

What the numbers mean

There is a 9.7 percentage point difference in overall approval rates between these councils. Elmbridge 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.

Planning professional? PlanningLens runs refusal alerts and evidence packs for any published UK council — see the data services →

See detailed data

Elmbridge full data Westminster full data

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