Liverpool vs Glasgow — planning approval compared

How do planning outcomes differ between Liverpool and Glasgow? A side-by-side comparison based on 87,394 combined decisions.

Last updated: April 2026

Liverpool: 88.6%

48,035 decisions · 42,558 approved · 5,477 refused · 104 wards

Glasgow: 88.1%

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

Overall approval rates

Liverpool (48,035 decided)

88.6%

Glasgow (39,359 decided)

88.1%

By application type

Advertisement — Liverpool (4,113 decided)

87.8%

Advertisement — Glasgow (1,912 decided)

82.8%

Certificate of Lawfulness — Liverpool (2,884 decided)

78.4%

Certificate of Lawfulness — Glasgow (12 decided)

8.3%

Change of Use — Liverpool (17 decided)

58.8%

Discharge of Conditions — Glasgow (385 decided)

99.7%

Full — Liverpool (16,677 decided)

88.7%

Full — Glasgow (11,493 decided)

87.8%

Listed Building — Liverpool (3,135 decided)

94.8%

Listed Building — Glasgow (3,412 decided)

92.6%

Other — Liverpool (16,328 decided)

89.9%

Other — Glasgow (21,655 decided)

87.8%

Prior Approval — Liverpool (1,175 decided)

69.4%

Prior Approval — Glasgow (490 decided)

94.3%

Trees — Liverpool (3,698 decided)

92.1%

What the numbers mean

There is a 0.5 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

Liverpool full data Glasgow full data

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