Belfast City Council Council approves 94.2% of planning applications, based on 13,582 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.5%. Belfast City Council sits 5.7 percentage points above the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 348 decided applications, Belfast City Council Council approved 89.9% of planning applications in 2025. Across 13,582 decisions analysed since January 2020, the overall approval rate in Belfast City Council is 94.2%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.5%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Belfast City Council council planning portal records · Updated June 2026 · Quote freely with attribution
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Not all applications are treated equally. Extension types, listed building consent, and change of use applications each have very different success rates in Belfast City Council.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 12,792 | 790 | 13,582 | 94.2% |
A loft conversion in one ward can have a 90% approval rate. In the next ward, 55%. The free check tells you which side you're on — your free property report is emailed in minutes.
Check My PostcodeWard-level data reveals where planning applications are most and least likely to succeed. Officers, local policies, and neighbourhood character all play a role.
| Ward | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|
How Belfast City Council’s planning approval rate has changed year by year — down 1.5pp since 2018.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from Belfast City Council council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| LA04/2025/0318/DCA | Minor demolition of part external wall of dwelling to facilitate a single storey | Approved |
| LA04/2024/2138/F | Change of use of second floor of 3 storey office building to a residential apart | Approved |
| LA04/2024/2088/F | Single-storey rear extension | Approved |
| LA04/2024/1937/F | Retention of change of use from residential dwelling (C1) to short term let acco | Refused |
| LA04/2024/0532/F | Two storey side and rear extension. Rear garden store with covered walkway & add | Approved |
| LA04/2023/4584/F | Partial demolition to rear wall to facilitate two/one storey extension with a si | Approved |
| LA04/2023/4615/F | Change of use from offices (B1) to short term let (Sui generis) (5 bedrooms), 2 | Approved |
| LA04/2023/4548/F | Proposed Erection of Storage Warehouse, including Car Parking and all associated | Approved |
| LA04/2023/4194/F | 2 storey side and rear extension with single storey flat roof extension to rear | Approved |
| LA04/2023/3838/F | Retrospective: Change of use from one bedroom residential apartment to one-bedro | Refused |
Find out what actually gets approved near your address first. Your free property report analyses the 20 nearest decisions to your property, ward-specific refusal patterns, and extension-by-extension approval patterns. Based on Belfast City Council's 13,582 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare Belfast City Council's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
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Dig deeper into Belfast City Council's planning statistics — by ward, extension type, or project category:
Data-driven guides to help you understand planning approval patterns:
Yes. PlanningLens offers a free planning permission check for Belfast City Council. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 13,582 real decisions from Belfast City Council council. The full property-specific report is also free and emailed within minutes.
Enter your postcode on PlanningLens for a free instant check based on Belfast City Council's real planning decisions. The free property report goes further: it analyses the 20 nearest comparable decisions to your property, ward-level refusal patterns, and approval rates by application type. Free and emailed within minutes.
Based on 13,582 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Belfast City Council is 94.2%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.5%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 13,582 planning decisions from Belfast City Council council. 12,792 were approved and 790 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in Belfast City Council is 94.2%, but outcomes depend heavily on your specific ward, the type of extension or development you are proposing, and local planning policy. Use the free PlanningLens postcode check to get a personalised score.
Writing about planning in Belfast City Council? These figures are free to republish with attribution. Copy the one-line citation, or paste the stat box into any website, CMS or newsletter — it carries its own styling and links back to this page for verification.