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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 24.8% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

34,504 real decisions·35 wards·Updated May 2026
98.2%
Highest: No Ward Number
73.4%
Lowest: Leith Walk
24.8%
Gap
35
Wards
89.8% approved overall. But 3,521 applications refused since 2020. Where you live in City of Edinburgh shifts your odds by up to 24.8%. The council average doesn't tell you which side of that gap you're on.

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All 35 wards ranked

#WardDecisionsApprovedRefusedRate
1No Ward Number1,3961,37125
98.2%
2Corstorphine/Murrayfield (Pre May 2017)79575738
95.2%
3Drum Brae/Gyle (Pre May 2017)48145625
94.8%
4Almond (Pre May 2017)97091456
94.2%
5Southside/Newington (Pre May 2017)1,4251,34283
94.2%
6Sighthill/Gorgie (Pre May 2017)39036723
94.1%
7Colinton/Fairmilehead79674848
94.0%
8Forth (Pre May 2017)48645729
94.0%
9Colinton/Fairmilehead (Pre May 2017)78573748
93.9%
10Pentland Hills73068446
93.7%
11Inverleith (Pre May 2017)1,4191,32891
93.6%
12Pentland Hills (Pre May 2017)74469648
93.5%
13Meadows/Morningside (Pre May 2017)1,3621,26894
93.1%
14Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart (Pre May 2061957544
92.9%
15Leith Walk (Pre May 2017)50146536
92.8%
16Leith (Pre May 2017)52748938
92.8%
17Corstorphine/Murrayfield93286468
92.7%
18City Centre (Pre May 2017)3,2302,984246
92.4%
19Liberton/Gilmerton57352944
92.3%
20Almond1,2171,12097
92.0%
21Drum Brae/Gyle53048644
91.7%
22Craigentinny/Duddingston (Pre May 2017)48544441
91.5%
23Portobello/Craigmillar (Pre May 2017)72565867
90.8%
24Liberton/Gilmerton (Pre May 2017)51245755
89.3%
25Portobello/Craigmillar87177794
89.2%
26Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart54648264
88.3%
27Morningside1,2561,108148
88.2%
28Forth68760582
88.1%
29Craigentinny/Duddingston62253983
86.7%
30Inverleith1,4771,275202
86.3%
31Southside/Newington1,4721,263209
85.8%
32Sighthill/Gorgie40233963
84.3%
33Leith641527114
82.2%
34City Centre4,1423,312830
80.0%
35Leith Walk732537195
73.4%
See how this applies to your postcode →

These are council averages. Your property is specific.

An extension might sail through in No Ward Number but face serious resistance in Leith Walk.
Check your postcode to see what actually happens near your address.

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What the data tells us

1
A 24.8% gap separates the best and worst wards. No Ward Number approves 98.2% of applications while Leith Walk approves just 73.4%. That's a fundamentally different planning environment.
2
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.
3
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

3,521 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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More City of Edinburgh planning data

Methodology: Covers 34,504 planning decisions in City of Edinburgh, January 2020 to present. Approval rate = approved / (approved + refused). Pending, withdrawn and invalid excluded. Ward boundaries reflect current electoral divisions. Data from City of Edinburgh Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →
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