Derby Council approves 92.8% of planning applications, based on 3,521 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. Derby sits 7.8 percentage points above the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 415 decided applications, Derby Council approved 93.3% of planning applications in 2025. Across 3,521 decisions on record (January 2018 to March 2026), the overall approval rate in Derby is 92.8%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Derby council planning portal records · Data to 13 March 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 Derby.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | 2,907 | 206 | 3,113 | 93.4% |
| Trees | 455 | 26 | 481 | 94.6% |
| Other | 378 | 27 | 405 | 93.3% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 233 | 19 | 252 | 92.5% |
| Advertisement | 215 | 34 | 249 | 86.3% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 139 | 10 | 149 | 93.3% |
| Prior Approval | 106 | 27 | 133 | 79.7% |
| Listed Building | 95 | 4 | 99 | 96.0% |
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 PostcodeWard-level data reveals where planning applications are most and least likely to succeed. Officers, local policies, and neighbourhood character all play a role.
| Ward | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arboretum | 518 | 73 | 591 | 87.6% |
| Darley | 531 | 28 | 559 | 95.0% |
| Littleover | 404 | 36 | 440 | 91.8% |
| Allestree | 373 | 19 | 392 | 95.2% |
| Mickleover | 314 | 21 | 335 | 93.7% |
| Abbey | 252 | 27 | 279 | 90.3% |
| Blagreaves | 253 | 25 | 278 | 91.0% |
| Normanton | 211 | 25 | 236 | 89.4% |
| Spondon | 208 | 4 | 212 | 98.1% |
| Alvaston | 150 | 13 | 163 | 92.0% |
| Chellaston | 141 | 8 | 149 | 94.6% |
| Chaddesden | 126 | 8 | 134 | 94.0% |
| Oakwood | 126 | 6 | 132 | 95.5% |
| Mackworth | 117 | 9 | 126 | 92.9% |
| Derwent | 111 | 6 | 117 | 94.9% |
| Sinfin | 106 | 6 | 112 | 94.6% |
| Boulton | 103 | 2 | 105 | 98.1% |
| Sinfin & Osmaston | 78 | 6 | 84 | 92.9% |
| Mackworth & New Zealand | 69 | 7 | 76 | 90.8% |
| Alvaston North | 66 | 9 | 75 | 88.0% |
| Chellaston & Shelton Lock | 59 | 4 | 63 | 93.7% |
| Alvaston South | 48 | 4 | 52 | 92.3% |
| Chaddesden East | 44 | 0 | 44 | 100.0% |
| Chaddesden West | 38 | 1 | 39 | 97.4% |
| Chaddesden North | 18 | 2 | 20 | 90.0% |
How Derby’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, down 2.1pp since 2018.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from Derby council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| 26/01163/DEM Sinfin & Osmaston | Demolition of building DF28 | Approved |
| 26/01165/DEM Sinfin & Osmaston | Demolition of building DF30 | Approved |
| 26/01089/FUL Mickleover | Two storey side and rear extensions to dwelling house (prayer room, office, util | Refused |
| 26/01094/FUL Alvaston South | Single storey side extension to dwellinghouse (wetroom) | Approved |
| 26/01077/FUL Arboretum | Single storey rear extension to dwelling house (store) - retrospective applicati | Approved |
| 26/01066/PNRH Chaddesden West | Single storey rear extension (projecting beyond the rear wall of the original ho | Approved |
| 26/00984/FUL Abbey | Single storey front, side and rear extensions to dwelling house (porch, canopy, | Approved |
| 26/01042/FUL Littleover | Single-storey rear and side extensions to dwelling (kitchen/dining room/living s | Approved |
| 26/01034/CLE Littleover | Single storey side extension to dwelling house | Approved |
| 26/01032/PNRH Chaddesden West | Single storey rear extension (projecting beyond the rear wall of the original ho | 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 Derby's 3,521 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare Derby's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
Dig deeper into Derby'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 Derby. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 3,521 real decisions from Derby 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 Derby'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 3,521 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Derby is 92.8%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 3,521 planning decisions from Derby council. 3,266 were approved and 255 were refused. These figures cover every decision on record for the council, January 2018 to March 2026.
The average approval rate in Derby is 92.8%, 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.
Writing about planning in Derby? 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.