Barnet planning approval rate

Barnet council approved 81.7% of planning applications and refused 18.3%, based on 55,519 decisions analysed. Ranked 23rd out of 300 councils for strictness.

Last updated: August 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to August 2026

81.7%

overall approval rate

55,519

Decisions analysed

45,334

Approved

10,185

Refused

Wards covered

Planning in Barnet? Check your postcode to see approval rates specific to your ward and street.

Approval rate by application type

Different application types have different approval rates in Barnet. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.

Other (37,463 decided)

84.1%

Full (13,793 decided)

84.7%

Prior Approval (4,263 decided)

50.2%

Approval rate by project type

These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Barnet, mined from 55,519 proposal descriptions.

Rear Extension (17,862 decided)

75.7%

Garage / Parking (10,889 decided)

82.3%

Dormer (9,502 decided)

81.0%

Loft Conversion (8,411 decided)

80.6%

Side Extension (6,781 decided)

81.6%

Flat Conversion (4,241 decided)

76.2%

Hip-to-Gable Conversion (3,555 decided)

81.8%

Outbuilding (3,263 decided)

78.0%

Wraparound Extension (2,993 decided)

80.2%

Basement (2,645 decided)

83.1%

Change of Use (Residential) (2,045 decided)

68.9%

New Build (1,976 decided)

81.8%

Front Extension (1,838 decided)

78.8%

Conservatory (1,538 decided)

81.4%

Extension (General) (1,288 decided)

82.3%

HMO (636 decided)

44.2%

Annex (210 decided)

71.9%

Approval rate by ward

Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Barnet. Click any ward for detailed statistics.

MH (1,968 decided)

79.4%

GS (1,928 decided)

91.6%

CH (1,812 decided)

76.9%

HB (1,694 decided)

77.7%

GG (1,661 decided)

77.4%

TO (1,577 decided)

80.9%

CH22 (1,521 decided)

81.3%

HD22 (1,484 decided)

78.8%

MH22 (1,448 decided)

82.3%

HD (1,384 decided)

77.8%

GS22 (1,326 decided)

89.4%

FC (1,300 decided)

79.9%

HB22 (1,294 decided)

80.7%

OA (1,288 decided)

77.2%

HA (1,245 decided)

74.5%

WH (1,200 decided)

75.0%

EB (1,154 decided)

78.5%

BP (1,147 decided)

73.6%

TW22 (1,137 decided)

84.0%

WO (1,136 decided)

75.4%

Wards in Barnet

Recent comparable decisions

The most recent residential planning decisions in Barnet, showing how the council decides real applications.

26/2307/HSE

Single storey rear extension, following demolition of existing conservatory. Alt · CH22 · 13/08/2026

Approved

26/2244/HSE

First floor rear extension, removal of existing first floor roof terrace, altera · HB22 · 13/08/2026

Approved

25/4713/FUL

Erection of a new single storey building plus basement level for multipurpose us · HD22 · 13/08/2026

Approved

Showing 3 recent comparable decisions. See more in the full report →

What gets approved near your property?

In Barnet, 1 in 5 applications are refused. Your PlanningLens Full Planning Analysis gives you 17 pages of intelligence specific to your property:

✓ Ward-level approval rates for your exact area
✓ Common refusal reasons in Barnet
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect

Free planning check for Barnet →

Free. Based on 55,519 decisions.

Compare with nearby councils

Enfield Haringey Camden Brent Harrow

Frequently asked questions about planning in Barnet

What is the planning approval rate in Barnet?

Based on 55,519 planning decisions analysed since 2020, Barnet approved 81.7% of applications and refused 18.3%. The council is ranked 23rd out of 300 UK councils for approval rate.

How many planning applications are refused in Barnet?

Barnet refuses 18.3% of planning applications, roughly 1 in 5. That is higher than the UK average of 11.4%. Out of 55,519 decided applications since 2020, 10,185 were refused. PlanningLens lets you check any postcode to see which applications were refused near a specific property.

Which areas of Barnet have the highest planning approval rates?

The highest approval rates in Barnet are in GOLDERS GREEN (98.6%), CHILDS HILL (98.0%), and GARDEN SUBURB (97.7%). Approval rates vary significantly by ward, see the full ward breakdown above.

What types of planning application are most common in Barnet?

The most common planning application types in Barnet are: Other (37,463 decisions, 84.1% approved), Full (13,793, 84.7%), and Prior Approval (4,263, 50.2%).

How long does a planning application take in Barnet?

Planning applications in Barnet take an average of 9.5 weeks to reach a decision, measured across 49,497 decisions with a recorded timeline. That is slower than the 8-week statutory target for householder applications (the statutory targets are 8 weeks for householder applications and 13 weeks for major developments). PlanningLens measures the actual time each application takes, not just the target. Barnet decides approximately 9,253 planning applications per year.

How do I check planning applications in Barnet?

You can search planning applications in Barnet directly on the council's official planning portal. PlanningLens also lets you check any postcode against 55,519 historical decisions in Barnet to see what's been approved and refused near a specific property.

How is PlanningLens approval rate data for Barnet calculated?

PlanningLens scrapes Barnet's official planning portal and analyses every published decision since January 2020. The approval rate is calculated as approved decisions divided by total decided applications, excluding withdrawn and pending applications. The full methodology, data sourcing, and Creative Commons BY 4.0 licensing terms are published at planninglens.co.uk/methodology.

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