City of Edinburgh planning approval rate
City of Edinburgh council approved 89.5% of planning applications and refused 10.5%, based on 4,266 decisions analysed. Ranked 92nd out of 236 councils for strictness.
Last updated: April 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to present
89.5%
overall approval rate
Planning in City of Edinburgh?
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 City of Edinburgh. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in City of Edinburgh — mined from 4,266 proposal descriptions.
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within City of Edinburgh. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
City Centre (522 decided)
79.5%
City Centre (Pre May 2017) (405 decided)
95.3%
Meadows/Morningside (Pre May 2017) (198 decided)
94.9%
Inverleith (198 decided)
86.4%
Southside/Newington (196 decided)
84.7%
Southside/Newington (Pre May 2017) (194 decided)
95.9%
Inverleith (Pre May 2017) (168 decided)
90.5%
No Ward Number (144 decided)
99.3%
Morningside (135 decided)
90.4%
Almond (133 decided)
92.5%
Colinton/Fairmilehead (Pre May 2017) (113 decided)
96.5%
Almond (Pre May 2017) (113 decided)
97.3%
Corstorphine/Murrayfield (113 decided)
89.4%
Colinton/Fairmilehead (111 decided)
91.9%
Portobello/Craigmillar (111 decided)
82.9%
Pentland Hills (Pre May 2017) (101 decided)
91.1%
Corstorphine/Murrayfield (Pre May 2017) (99 decided)
98.0%
Leith Walk (90 decided)
73.3%
Portobello/Craigmillar (Pre May 2017) (86 decided)
90.7%
Wards in City of Edinburgh
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in City of Edinburgh, showing how the council decides real applications.
26/00649/FUL
Proposed single storey front extension. · Almond · Fri 20 Feb 2026
26/00531/LBC
Internal reconfiguration: replacement of single glazing with slimline double gla · City Centre · Thu 12 Feb 2026
26/00471/FUL
Erection of extension to side and partial garage conversion to form study. · Pentland Hills · Mon 09 Feb 2026
Showing 3 of 200 comparable decisions. See all 200 in the Pro Report →
What gets approved near your property?
In City of Edinburgh, 1 in 10 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 City of Edinburgh
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Get City of Edinburgh Pro Report — £79
Less than one set of revised drawings. Based on 4,266 decisions.
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