Liverpool vs Leeds — planning approval compared

How do planning outcomes differ between Liverpool and Leeds? A side-by-side comparison based on 92,650 combined decisions.

Last updated: April 2026

Liverpool: 88.6%

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

Leeds: 86.6%

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

Overall approval rates

Liverpool (48,035 decided)

88.6%

Leeds (44,615 decided)

86.6%

By application type

Advertisement — Liverpool (4,113 decided)

87.8%

Advertisement — Leeds (1,186 decided)

85.9%

Certificate of Lawfulness — Liverpool (2,884 decided)

78.4%

Certificate of Lawfulness — Leeds (5,078 decided)

84.8%

Change of Use — Liverpool (17 decided)

58.8%

Discharge of Conditions — Leeds (5,299 decided)

87.8%

Full — Liverpool (16,677 decided)

88.7%

Full — Leeds (22,903 decided)

85.0%

Listed Building — Liverpool (3,135 decided)

94.8%

Listed Building — Leeds (1,241 decided)

92.8%

Other — Liverpool (16,328 decided)

89.9%

Other — Leeds (2,882 decided)

77.3%

Prior Approval — Liverpool (1,175 decided)

69.4%

Trees — Liverpool (3,698 decided)

92.1%

Trees — Leeds (6,026 decided)

96.5%

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 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 Leeds full data

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