Bradford planning approval rate

Bradford council approved 78.8% of planning applications and refused 21.2%, based on 26,787 decisions analysed. Ranked 6th out of 221 councils for strictness.

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

78.8%

overall approval rate

26,787

Decisions analysed

21,098

Approved

5,689

Refused

Wards covered

Planning in Bradford? 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 Bradford. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.

Full (14,664 decided)

82.5%

Prior Approval (3,439 decided)

67.2%

Other (2,835 decided)

89.4%

Trees (2,476 decided)

53.6%

Certificate of Lawfulness (1,400 decided)

81.7%

Listed Building (1,123 decided)

88.3%

Advertisement (509 decided)

76.4%

Discharge of Conditions (341 decided)

89.1%

Approval rate by project type

These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Bradford — mined from 26,787 proposal descriptions.

Rear Extension (5,925 decided)

87.8%

Dormer (3,523 decided)

87.0%

Side Extension (3,170 decided)

84.6%

Garage / Parking (3,005 decided)

79.2%

Extension (General) (1,960 decided)

83.9%

Change of Use (Residential) (1,539 decided)

75.0%

Hip-to-Gable Conversion (1,036 decided)

90.0%

Outbuilding (873 decided)

76.2%

Wraparound Extension (859 decided)

85.3%

Loft Conversion (857 decided)

89.4%

Conservatory (531 decided)

87.0%

Front Extension (399 decided)

76.7%

Basement (355 decided)

78.0%

Annex (258 decided)

75.2%

New Build (141 decided)

71.6%

HMO (131 decided)

73.3%

Flat Conversion (78 decided)

79.5%

Approval rate by ward

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

Ilkley (ward 14) (2,687 decided)

70.3%

City (ward 07) (1,445 decided)

80.6%

Wharfedale (ward 26) (1,341 decided)

83.4%

Craven (ward 09) (1,316 decided)

79.3%

Heaton (ward 12) (1,281 decided)

78.1%

Worth Valley (ward 29) (1,142 decided)

70.1%

Bingley (ward 02) (1,109 decided)

72.5%

Shipley (ward 22) (1,056 decided)

83.2%

Bingley Rural (ward 03) (1,027 decided)

79.6%

Baildon (ward 01) (955 decided)

75.1%

Thornton And Allerton (ward 23) (897 decided)

81.5%

Great Horton (ward 11) (857 decided)

82.8%

Keighley East (ward 16) (845 decided)

77.9%

Idle And Thackley (ward 13) (800 decided)

79.6%

Bolton And Undercliffe (ward 04) (796 decided)

81.4%

Keighley Central (ward 15) (784 decided)

80.9%

Bradford Moor (ward 06) (755 decided)

83.8%

Bowling And Barkerend (ward 05) (748 decided)

83.4%

Toller (ward 24) (741 decided)

83.7%

Clayton And Fairweather Green (ward 08) (733 decided)

78.6%

Wards in Bradford

Ilkley (ward 14)

70.3% approval · 2,687 decisions

City (ward 07)

80.6% approval · 1,445 decisions

Wharfedale (ward 26)

83.4% approval · 1,341 decisions

Craven (ward 09)

79.3% approval · 1,316 decisions

Heaton (ward 12)

78.1% approval · 1,281 decisions

Worth Valley (ward 29)

70.1% approval · 1,142 decisions

Bingley (ward 02)

72.5% approval · 1,109 decisions

Shipley (ward 22)

83.2% approval · 1,056 decisions

Bingley Rural (ward 03)

79.6% approval · 1,027 decisions

Baildon (ward 01)

75.1% approval · 955 decisions

Thornton And Allerton (ward 23)

81.5% approval · 897 decisions

Great Horton (ward 11)

82.8% approval · 857 decisions

Keighley East (ward 16)

77.9% approval · 845 decisions

Idle And Thackley (ward 13)

79.6% approval · 800 decisions

Bolton And Undercliffe (ward 04)

81.4% approval · 796 decisions

Keighley Central (ward 15)

80.9% approval · 784 decisions

Bradford Moor (ward 06)

83.8% approval · 755 decisions

Bowling And Barkerend (ward 05)

83.4% approval · 748 decisions

Toller (ward 24)

83.7% approval · 741 decisions

Clayton And Fairweather Green (ward 08)

78.6% approval · 733 decisions

Recent comparable decisions

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

26/00253/PNH

Construction of single storey rear extension of the following dimensions:Depth o · Toller (ward 24) · Thu 05 Mar 2026

Approved

26/00367/PIP

Construction of four self-build dwellings · Wharfedale (ward 26) · Wed 04 Mar 2026

Refused

26/00234/PNH

Construction of single storey rear extension of the following dimensions:Depth o · Queensbury (ward 20) · Fri 27 Feb 2026

Approved

Showing 3 of 200 comparable decisions. See all 200 in the Pro Report →

What gets approved near your property?

In Bradford, 1 in 5 applications are refused. Your PlanningLens Pro Report gives you 17 pages of intelligence specific to your property:

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

Get Bradford Pro Report — £79

Less than one set of revised drawings. Based on 26,787 decisions.

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