City of Edinburgh planning approval rate
City of Edinburgh council approved 89.8% of planning applications and refused 10.2%, based on 50,718 decisions analysed. Ranked 98th out of 237 councils for strictness.
Last updated: May 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to present
89.8%
overall approval rate
50,718
Decisions analysed
45,539
Approved
5,179
Refused
38
Wards covered
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.
89.8%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in City of Edinburgh — mined from 50,718 proposal descriptions.
94.4%
90.8%
92.1%
95.7%
92.9%
95.3%
93.2%
95.2%
82.4%
92.8%
97.7%
84.0%
88.9%
92.1%
87.9%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within City of Edinburgh. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
City Centre
80.0%
City Centre (Pre May 2017)
92.1%
Southside/Newington
85.7%
Inverleith
86.8%
Southside/Newington (Pre May 2017)
93.9%
Inverleith (Pre May 2017)
94.0%
No Ward Number
98.3%
Meadows/Morningside (Pre May 2017)
93.5%
Morningside
89.3%
Almond
91.3%
Almond (Pre May 2017)
94.6%
Corstorphine/Murrayfield
92.8%
Portobello/Craigmillar
89.7%
Colinton/Fairmilehead
94.2%
Corstorphine/Murrayfield (Pre May 2017)
94.8%
Colinton/Fairmilehead (Pre May 2017)
94.1%
Pentland Hills
93.6%
Leith Walk
73.9%
Pentland Hills (Pre May 2017)
92.3%
Portobello/Craigmillar (Pre May 2017)
91.2%
Wards in City of Edinburgh
City Centre
80.0% approval · 6,090 decisions
City Centre (Pre May 2017)
92.1% approval · 4,795 decisions
Southside/Newington
85.7% approval · 2,165 decisions
Inverleith
86.8% approval · 2,143 decisions
Southside/Newington (Pre May 2017)
93.9% approval · 2,109 decisions
Inverleith (Pre May 2017)
94.0% approval · 2,049 decisions
No Ward Number
98.3% approval · 2,033 decisions
Meadows/Morningside (Pre May 2017)
93.5% approval · 1,984 decisions
Morningside
89.3% approval · 1,868 decisions
Almond
91.3% approval · 1,814 decisions
Almond (Pre May 2017)
94.6% approval · 1,457 decisions
Corstorphine/Murrayfield
92.8% approval · 1,322 decisions
Portobello/Craigmillar
89.7% approval · 1,290 decisions
Colinton/Fairmilehead
94.2% approval · 1,181 decisions
Corstorphine/Murrayfield (Pre May 2017)
94.8% approval · 1,169 decisions
Colinton/Fairmilehead (Pre May 2017)
94.1% approval · 1,160 decisions
Pentland Hills
93.6% approval · 1,074 decisions
Leith Walk
73.9% approval · 1,059 decisions
Pentland Hills (Pre May 2017)
92.3% approval · 1,056 decisions
Portobello/Craigmillar (Pre May 2017)
91.2% approval · 1,051 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in City of Edinburgh, showing how the council decides real applications.
26/00944/LBC
The replacement of timber single glazing windows with uPVC double glazing window · Craigentinny/Duddingston · Thu 12 Mar 2026
26/00962/LBC
New windows to the front facade of the mews building, together with timber priva · Leith Walk · Wed 11 Mar 2026
26/00945/LBC
Replacement of timber single glazing windows with uPVC double glazing windows. · Craigentinny/Duddingston · Wed 11 Mar 2026
Showing 3 of 200 comparable decisions. See all 200 in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In City of Edinburgh, 1 in 10 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 City of Edinburgh
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for City of Edinburgh →
✓ Common refusal reasons in City of Edinburgh
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free. Based on 50,718 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in City of Edinburgh
What is the planning approval rate in City of Edinburgh?
Based on 50,718 planning decisions analysed since 2020, City of Edinburgh approved 89.8% of applications and refused 10.2%. The council is ranked 98th out of 237 UK councils for approval rate.
Which areas of City of Edinburgh have the highest planning approval rates?
The highest approval rates in City of Edinburgh are in No Ward Number (98.3%), Corstorphine/Murrayfield (Pre May 2017) (94.8%), and Almond (Pre May 2017) (94.6%). Approval rates vary significantly by ward — see the full ward breakdown above.
What types of planning application are most common in City of Edinburgh?
The most common planning application types in City of Edinburgh are: Other (50,718 decisions, 89.8% approved).
How long does a planning application take in City of Edinburgh?
Most planning applications in City of Edinburgh are decided within 8 weeks for householder applications and 13 weeks for major developments — the statutory targets set by central government. With 50,718 decisions analysed since 2020, City of Edinburgh processes approximately 8,453 planning applications per year.
How do I check planning applications in City of Edinburgh?
You can search planning applications in City of Edinburgh directly on the council's official planning portal. PlanningLens also lets you check any postcode against 50,718 historical decisions in City of Edinburgh to see what's been approved and refused near a specific property.
How is PlanningLens approval rate data for City of Edinburgh calculated?
PlanningLens scrapes City of Edinburgh'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.