Leeds vs Tower Hamlets — planning approval compared

How do planning outcomes differ between Leeds and Tower Hamlets? A side-by-side comparison based on 81,823 combined decisions.

Last updated: March 2026

Leeds: 86.6%

44,615 decisions · 38,647 approved · 5,968 refused · 33 wards

Tower Hamlets: 88.6%

37,208 decisions · 32,960 approved · 4,248 refused · 31 wards

Overall approval rates

Leeds (44,615 decided)

86.6%

Tower Hamlets (37,208 decided)

88.6%

By application type

Advertisement — Leeds (1,186 decided)

85.9%

Advertisement — Tower Hamlets (517 decided)

82.0%

Certificate of Lawfulness — Leeds (5,078 decided)

84.8%

Discharge of Conditions — Leeds (5,299 decided)

87.8%

Discharge of Conditions — Tower Hamlets (3,070 decided)

97.2%

Full — Leeds (22,903 decided)

85.0%

Full — Tower Hamlets (5,826 decided)

79.7%

Listed Building — Leeds (1,241 decided)

92.8%

Listed Building — Tower Hamlets (830 decided)

88.2%

Other — Leeds (2,882 decided)

77.3%

Other — Tower Hamlets (25,901 decided)

89.4%

Prior Approval — Tower Hamlets (289 decided)

85.8%

Trees — Leeds (6,026 decided)

96.5%

Trees — Tower Hamlets (775 decided)

98.6%

What the numbers mean

There is a 2.0 percentage point difference in overall approval rates between these councils. Leeds 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? Check your postcode to see approval rates specific to your ward and street.

See detailed data

Leeds full data Tower Hamlets full data

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