Leeds vs Croydon, planning approval compared

How do planning outcomes differ between Leeds and Croydon? A side-by-side comparison based on 56,355 combined decisions.

Last updated: September 2026

Leeds: 84.1%

24,994 decisions · 21,030 approved · 3,964 refused · 33 wards

Croydon: 80.5%

31,361 decisions · 25,233 approved · 6,128 refused · 83 wards

Overall approval rates

Leeds (24,994 decided)

84.1%

Croydon (31,361 decided)

80.5%

By application type

Advertisement, Leeds (1,234 decided)

85.7%

Certificate of Lawfulness, Leeds (5,316 decided)

84.6%

Discharge of Conditions, Leeds (5,526 decided)

87.8%

Discharge of Conditions, Croydon (97 decided)

100.0%

Full, Leeds (23,750 decided)

84.9%

Full, Croydon (8,323 decided)

81.0%

Listed Building, Leeds (1,306 decided)

92.0%

Other, Leeds (2,980 decided)

77.2%

Other, Croydon (30,116 decided)

81.1%

Prior Approval, Croydon (2,220 decided)

83.3%

Trees, Leeds (6,312 decided)

96.5%

Trees, Croydon (36 decided)

100.0%

What the numbers mean

There is a 3.7 percentage point difference in overall approval rates between these councils. Croydon 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

Leeds full data Croydon full data

Check planning approval patterns, Free