Which ward in City of Edinburgh has the highest planning approval rate?

No Ward Number at 98.4% based on 2,587 decisions.

Which ward in City of Edinburgh has the lowest planning approval rate?

Leith Walk at 74.1% based on 1,328 decisions.

How much do planning approval rates vary across City of Edinburgh?

There is a 24.3% gap between No Ward Number and Leith Walk. Your postcode significantly affects outcomes.

Planning Approval Rates by Ward in City of Edinburgh

Planning outcomes in City of Edinburgh are highly localised. The gap between the most and least permissive wards is 24.3% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

63,954 real decisions·35 wards·Updated June 2026

All 35 wards ranked

#	Ward	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	No Ward Number	2,587	2,545	42	98.4%
2	Drum Brae/Gyle (Pre May 2017)	891	842	49	94.5%
3	Almond (Pre May 2017)	1,826	1,722	104	94.3%
4	Corstorphine/Murrayfield (Pre May 2017)	1,488	1,403	85	94.3%
5	Inverleith (Pre May 2017)	2,533	2,385	148	94.2%
6	Sighthill/Gorgie (Pre May 2017)	752	708	44	94.1%
7	Colinton/Fairmilehead	1,491	1,399	92	93.8%
8	Pentland Hills	1,361	1,277	84	93.8%
9	Forth (Pre May 2017)	906	849	57	93.7%
10	Meadows/Morningside (Pre May 2017)	2,489	2,330	159	93.6%
11	Southside/Newington (Pre May 2017)	2,659	2,490	169	93.6%
12	Colinton/Fairmilehead (Pre May 2017)	1,438	1,344	94	93.5%
13	Corstorphine/Murrayfield	1,658	1,548	110	93.4%
14	Pentland Hills (Pre May 2017)	1,319	1,224	95	92.8%
15	Leith Walk (Pre May 2017)	879	814	65	92.6%
16	Liberton/Gilmerton	1,084	1,003	81	92.5%
17	Drum Brae/Gyle	1,024	946	78	92.4%
18	City Centre (Pre May 2017)	5,999	5,529	470	92.2%
19	Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart (Pre May 20	1,102	1,016	86	92.2%
20	Leith (Pre May 2017)	975	896	79	91.9%
21	Almond	2,282	2,090	192	91.6%
22	Portobello/Craigmillar (Pre May 2017)	1,306	1,193	113	91.3%
23	Craigentinny/Duddingston (Pre May 2017)	863	786	77	91.1%
24	Liberton/Gilmerton (Pre May 2017)	938	849	89	90.5%
25	Forth	1,290	1,159	131	89.8%
26	Portobello/Craigmillar	1,660	1,489	171	89.7%
27	Morningside	2,380	2,136	244	89.7%
28	Inverleith	2,717	2,371	346	87.3%
29	Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart	1,063	924	139	86.9%
30	Southside/Newington	2,755	2,361	394	85.7%
31	Craigentinny/Duddingston	1,184	1,010	174	85.3%
32	Sighthill/Gorgie	746	624	122	83.6%
33	Leith	1,159	960	199	82.8%
34	City Centre	7,777	6,201	1,576	79.7%
35	Leith Walk	1,328	984	344	74.1%

See how this applies to your postcode →

What the data tells us

A 24.3% gap separates the best and worst wards. No Ward Number approves 98.4% of applications while Leith Walk approves just 74.1%. That's a fundamentally different planning environment.

High volume doesn't mean high approval. Some of the busiest wards aren't the most permissive. The number of applications a ward processes tells you nothing about how likely yours is to succeed.

Ward averages are a starting point, not a guarantee. Your specific outcome depends on your property, your neighbours, your proposal type and the comparable decisions near your address.

Before you spend £5,000+ on architects and drawings

6,506 planning applications in City of Edinburgh have been refused since 2020. Many of those homeowners had already paid for drawings and application fees. A free, property-specific report shows you what gets approved — and what gets refused — near your property.

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Planning Approval Rates by Ward in City of Edinburgh

Check Planning Approval Patterns in City of Edinburgh

All 35 wards ranked

These are council averages. Your property is specific.

What the data tells us

Before you spend £5,000+ on architects and drawings

More City of Edinburgh planning data