Derby planning approval rate
Derby council approved 92.8% of planning applications and refused 7.2%, based on 4,695 decisions analysed. Ranked 185th out of 300 councils for strictness.
Last updated: August 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to March 2026
92.8%
overall approval rate
4,695
Decisions analysed
4,355
Approved
340
Refused
25
Wards covered
Planning in Derby? 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 Derby. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.
93.4%
94.7%
93.0%
86.8%
92.9%
79.2%
95.5%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Derby, mined from 4,695 proposal descriptions.
96.0%
94.5%
93.5%
91.7%
94.4%
82.6%
89.6%
86.5%
91.0%
86.3%
89.1%
71.9%
68.4%
94.1%
86.7%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Derby. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
Arboretum Ward
87.7%
Darley Ward
94.8%
Littleover Ward
91.6%
Allestree Ward
95.6%
Mickleover Ward
93.7%
Blagreaves Ward
90.8%
Abbey Ward
90.9%
Normanton Ward
89.4%
Spondon Ward
98.0%
Alvaston Ward
92.0%
Chellaston Ward
94.6%
Chaddesden Ward
94.0%
Mackworth Ward
92.9%
Oakwood Ward
95.2%
Derwent Ward
94.9%
Sinfin Ward
94.6%
Boulton Ward
98.1%
Sinfin & Osmaston Ward
92.0%
Mackworth & New Zealand Ward
90.0%
Alvaston North Ward
88.6%
Wards in Derby
Arboretum Ward
87.7% approval · 571 decisions
Darley Ward
94.8% approval · 538 decisions
Littleover Ward
91.6% approval · 427 decisions
Allestree Ward
95.6% approval · 384 decisions
Mickleover Ward
93.7% approval · 319 decisions
Blagreaves Ward
90.8% approval · 271 decisions
Abbey Ward
90.9% approval · 265 decisions
Normanton Ward
89.4% approval · 227 decisions
Spondon Ward
98.0% approval · 201 decisions
Alvaston Ward
92.0% approval · 163 decisions
Chellaston Ward
94.6% approval · 148 decisions
Chaddesden Ward
94.0% approval · 134 decisions
Mackworth Ward
92.9% approval · 126 decisions
Oakwood Ward
95.2% approval · 125 decisions
Derwent Ward
94.9% approval · 117 decisions
Sinfin Ward
94.6% approval · 112 decisions
Boulton Ward
98.1% approval · 105 decisions
Sinfin & Osmaston Ward
92.0% approval · 75 decisions
Mackworth & New Zealand Ward
90.0% approval · 70 decisions
Alvaston North Ward
88.6% approval · 70 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in Derby, showing how the council decides real applications.
Single storey rear extension (projecting beyond the rear wall of the original ho · Spondon Ward · Wed 08 Jul 2026
Single storey rear extension to dwelling house (bedroom and bathroom) with acces · Alvaston South Ward · Tue 30 Jun 2026
First floor side and rear extensions to dwelling house (dressing room/study, ens · Littleover Ward · Fri 26 Jun 2026
Showing 3 recent comparable decisions. See more in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In Derby, 1 in 14 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 Derby
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for Derby →
✓ Common refusal reasons in Derby
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free. Based on 4,695 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in Derby
What is the planning approval rate in Derby?
Based on 4,695 planning decisions analysed since 2020, Derby approved 92.8% of applications and refused 7.2%. The council is ranked 185th out of 300 UK councils for approval rate.
How many planning applications are refused in Derby?
Derby refuses 7.2% of planning applications, roughly 1 in 14. That is lower than the UK average of 11.4%. Out of 4,695 decided applications since 2020, 340 were refused. PlanningLens lets you check any postcode to see which applications were refused near a specific property.
Which areas of Derby have the highest planning approval rates?
The highest approval rates in Derby are in Boulton Ward (98.1%), Spondon Ward (98.0%), and Allestree Ward (95.6%). Approval rates vary significantly by ward, see the full ward breakdown above.
What types of planning application are most common in Derby?
The most common planning application types in Derby are: Full (3,008 decisions, 93.4% approved), Trees (469, 94.7%), and Other (387, 93.0%).
How long does a planning application take in Derby?
Planning applications in Derby take an average of 12.1 weeks to reach a decision, measured across 2,690 decisions with a recorded timeline. That is slower than the 8-week statutory target for householder applications (the statutory targets are 8 weeks for householder applications and 13 weeks for major developments). PlanningLens measures the actual time each application takes, not just the target. Derby decides approximately 782 planning applications per year.
How do I check planning applications in Derby?
You can search planning applications in Derby directly on the council's official planning portal. PlanningLens also lets you check any postcode against 4,695 historical decisions in Derby to see what's been approved and refused near a specific property.
How is PlanningLens approval rate data for Derby calculated?
PlanningLens scrapes Derby'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.