City of London Council approves 98.8% of planning applications, based on 10,621 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. City of London sits 10.2 percentage points above the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 1,350 decided applications, City of London Council approved 98.7% of planning applications in 2025. The average time from validation to decision in City of London is 16.4 weeks, measured across 8,982 decided applications. Across 10,621 decisions analysed since January 2020, the overall approval rate in City of London is 98.8%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of City of London council planning portal records · Updated August 2026 · Quote freely with attribution
Enter your postcode for a free, personalised approval pattern report, based on your ward and application type.
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 London.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 10,461 | 117 | 10,578 | 98.9% |
| Prior Approval | 33 | 10 | 43 | 76.7% |
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 PostcodeHow City of London’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, up 4.4pp since 2018.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from City of London council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| 26/00153/FULL | Alterations to the shopfront and shopfront entrance. | Approved |
| 26/00769/LBC | Internal alterations at basement and ground floor level in association with exis | Approved |
| 26/00901/MDC | Submission of details of drawings provide details for all replacement and new wi | Approved |
| 26/00890/FULL | Installation of a new entrance door within the existing shopfront and installati | Approved |
| 26/01112/MDC | Submission of MEP Roof Plant Vibration Isolation pursuant to discharge of condit | Approved |
| 26/00600/LBC | Internal alterations including removal of non-structural partitions, reconfigura | Approved |
| 26/00860/LBC | Replacement entrance doors to cycle access on Leadenhall Market elevation with l | Approved |
| 26/00859/FULL | Minor alterations to the entrance doors, including the replacement entrance door | Approved |
| 25/01054/FULL | Erection of a freestanding steel-framed glazed secure enclosure offset from the | Approved |
| 26/00912/ADVT | Replacement of the existing building-identification sign in the same location wi | 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 London's 10,621 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare City of London's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
Dig deeper into City of London's planning statistics, by ward, extension type, or project category:
Data-driven guides to help you understand planning approval patterns:
Yes. PlanningLens offers a free planning permission check for City of London. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 10,621 real decisions from City of London 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 London'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 10,621 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in City of London is 98.8%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 10,621 planning decisions from City of London council. 10,494 were approved and 127 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in City of London is 98.8%, 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.
The average time from validation to decision in City of London is 16.4 weeks, measured across 8,982 decided applications. This PlanningLens figure is calculated from decision dates published by City of London council itself, reflecting actual elapsed time rather than statutory targets.
Writing about planning in City of London? 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.