City of Edinburgh Council approves 89.8% of planning applications, based on 63,954 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.3%. City of Edinburgh sits 1.5 percentage points above the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 3,798 decided applications, City of Edinburgh Council approved 79.7% of planning applications in 2025. Across 63,954 decisions analysed since January 2020, the overall approval rate in City of Edinburgh is 89.8%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.3%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of City of Edinburgh 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 City of Edinburgh.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 57,448 | 6,506 | 63,954 | 89.8% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City Centre | 11,730 | 2,046 | 13,776 | 85.1% |
| Southside/Newington | 4,851 | 563 | 5,414 | 89.6% |
| Inverleith | 4,756 | 494 | 5,250 | 90.6% |
| Almond | 3,812 | 296 | 4,108 | 92.8% |
| Corstorphine/Murrayfield | 2,951 | 195 | 3,146 | 93.8% |
| Portobello/Craigmillar | 2,682 | 284 | 2,966 | 90.4% |
| Colinton/Fairmilehead | 2,743 | 186 | 2,929 | 93.6% |
| Pentland Hills | 2,501 | 179 | 2,680 | 93.3% |
| No Ward Number | 2,545 | 42 | 2,587 | 98.4% |
| Meadows/Morningside | 2,330 | 159 | 2,489 | 93.6% |
| Morningside | 2,136 | 244 | 2,380 | 89.7% |
| Leith Walk | 1,798 | 409 | 2,207 | 81.5% |
| Forth | 2,008 | 188 | 2,196 | 91.4% |
| Leith | 1,856 | 278 | 2,134 | 87.0% |
| Craigentinny/Duddingston | 1,796 | 251 | 2,047 | 87.7% |
| Liberton/Gilmerton | 1,852 | 170 | 2,022 | 91.6% |
| Drum Brae/Gyle | 1,788 | 127 | 1,915 | 93.4% |
| Sighthill/Gorgie | 1,332 | 166 | 1,498 | 88.9% |
| Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart (Pre May 20 | 1,016 | 86 | 1,102 | 92.2% |
| Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart | 924 | 139 | 1,063 | 86.9% |
| Midlothian Council | 7 | 1 | 8 | 87.5% |
| New Town (Pre 17 Nov 06) | 5 | 0 | 5 | 100.0% |
How City of Edinburgh’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, down 11.2pp since 2018.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from City of Edinburgh council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| 26/00944/LBC Craigentinny/Duddingston | The replacement of timber single glazing windows with uPVC double glazing window | Approved |
| 26/00962/LBC Leith Walk | New windows to the front facade of the mews building, together with timber priva | Approved |
| 26/00978/FUL Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart | Single storey side extension to dwelling to provide improved accessibility and a | Approved |
| 26/00945/LBC Craigentinny/Duddingston | Replacement of timber single glazing windows with uPVC double glazing windows. | Approved |
| 26/00964/FUL Southside/Newington | Proposal to create new traditional dormers to front and rear. Alteration to exis | Approved |
| 26/00335/WINPA Morningside | Replacement of existing badly rotted single glazed, timberframed sliding sash an | Approved |
| 26/00950/FUL Inverleith | 1.5 storey rear extension with new tiled roof and re-render external walls. | Approved |
| 26/00947/LBC Craigentinny/Duddingston | The replacement of timber single glazing windows with uPVC double glazing window | Approved |
| 26/00933/FUL Drum Brae/Gyle | Proposed replacement roof and new rear extensions to rear bay windows with attic | Approved |
| 26/00948/LBC Craigentinny/Duddingston | The replacement of timber single glazing windows with uPVC double glazing window | Approved |
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 City of Edinburgh's 63,954 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
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Dig deeper into City of Edinburgh's planning statistics, by ward, extension type, or project category:
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Yes. PlanningLens offers a free planning permission check for City of Edinburgh. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 63,954 real decisions from City of Edinburgh 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 City of Edinburgh'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 63,954 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in City of Edinburgh is 89.8%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.3%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 63,954 planning decisions from City of Edinburgh council. 57,448 were approved and 6,506 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in City of Edinburgh is 89.8%, 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 City of Edinburgh? 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.