Southwark vs Bradford — planning approval compared

How do planning outcomes differ between Southwark and Bradford? A side-by-side comparison based on 55,462 combined decisions.

Last updated: March 2026

Southwark: 93.3%

28,675 decisions · 26,760 approved · 1,915 refused · 51 wards

Bradford: 78.8%

26,787 decisions · 21,098 approved · 5,689 refused · 30 wards

Overall approval rates

Southwark (28,675 decided)

93.3%

Bradford (26,787 decided)

78.8%

By application type

Advertisement — Bradford (509 decided)

76.4%

Certificate of Lawfulness — Bradford (1,400 decided)

81.7%

Discharge of Conditions — Bradford (341 decided)

89.1%

Full — Southwark (3,924 decided)

93.4%

Full — Bradford (14,664 decided)

82.5%

Listed Building — Bradford (1,123 decided)

88.3%

Other — Southwark (24,257 decided)

93.8%

Other — Bradford (2,835 decided)

89.4%

Prior Approval — Southwark (494 decided)

71.7%

Prior Approval — Bradford (3,439 decided)

67.2%

Trees — Bradford (2,476 decided)

53.6%

What the numbers mean

There is a 14.5 percentage point difference in overall approval rates between these councils. Bradford 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

Southwark full data Bradford full data

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