Enfield planning approval rate
Enfield council approved 79.9% of planning applications and refused 20.1%, based on 31,740 decisions analysed. Ranked 14th out of 300 councils for strictness.
Last updated: August 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to August 2026
79.9%
overall approval rate
31,740
Decisions analysed
25,373
Approved
6,367
Refused
97
Wards covered
Planning in Enfield? 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 Enfield. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.
81.2%
75.1%
82.6%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Enfield, mined from 31,740 proposal descriptions.
79.0%
79.5%
79.4%
73.6%
74.8%
83.5%
78.6%
79.6%
68.1%
78.0%
75.3%
75.6%
70.3%
80.6%
69.5%
69.0%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Enfield. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
CF
79.3%
WH
70.9%
GA
80.8%
SG
75.5%
HI
78.3%
SE
74.1%
TO
80.1%
BU
77.3%
CK
78.1%
SU
81.0%
PG
72.6%
EH
71.2%
UE
78.3%
CH
83.0%
PE
78.5%
TW
77.2%
PN
78.5%
BR
79.5%
BO
69.1%
EG
74.9%
Wards in Enfield
CF
79.3% approval · 1,143 decisions
WH
70.9% approval · 1,012 decisions
GA
80.8% approval · 890 decisions
SG
75.5% approval · 831 decisions
HI
78.3% approval · 728 decisions
SE
74.1% approval · 725 decisions
TO
80.1% approval · 698 decisions
BU
77.3% approval · 687 decisions
CK
78.1% approval · 661 decisions
SU
81.0% approval · 594 decisions
PG
72.6% approval · 536 decisions
EH
71.2% approval · 535 decisions
UE
78.3% approval · 535 decisions
CH
83.0% approval · 535 decisions
PE
78.5% approval · 525 decisions
TW
77.2% approval · 514 decisions
PN
78.5% approval · 489 decisions
BR
79.5% approval · 478 decisions
BO
69.1% approval · 469 decisions
EG
74.9% approval · 462 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in Enfield, showing how the council decides real applications.
None
Retention of 3 x stacked storage containers at rear, involving landscape screeni · Palmers Green · 13/08/2026
None
Replacement of existing hub unit with installation of a modern, multifunction hu · Southgate · 13/08/2026
None
Erection of front/side boundary wall and gate (RETROSPECTIVE). · Grange Park · 13/08/2026
Showing 3 recent comparable decisions. See more in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In Enfield, 1 in 5 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 Enfield
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for Enfield →
✓ Common refusal reasons in Enfield
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free. Based on 31,740 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in Enfield
What is the planning approval rate in Enfield?
Based on 31,740 planning decisions analysed since 2020, Enfield approved 79.9% of applications and refused 20.1%. The council is ranked 14th out of 300 UK councils for approval rate.
How many planning applications are refused in Enfield?
Enfield refuses 20.1% of planning applications, roughly 1 in 5. That is higher than the UK average of 11.4%. Out of 31,740 decided applications since 2020, 6,367 were refused. PlanningLens lets you check any postcode to see which applications were refused near a specific property.
Which areas of Enfield have the highest planning approval rates?
The highest approval rates in Enfield are in NOT (100.0%), SOUTHGATE GREEN (98.2%), and UPPER EDMONTON (98.1%). Approval rates vary significantly by ward, see the full ward breakdown above.
What types of planning application are most common in Enfield?
The most common planning application types in Enfield are: Other (21,352 decisions, 81.2% approved), Full (7,090, 75.1%), and Prior Approval (3,298, 82.6%).
How long does a planning application take in Enfield?
Planning applications in Enfield take an average of 9.5 weeks to reach a decision, measured across 27,538 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. Enfield decides approximately 5,290 planning applications per year.
How do I check planning applications in Enfield?
You can search planning applications in Enfield directly on the council's official planning portal. PlanningLens also lets you check any postcode against 31,740 historical decisions in Enfield to see what's been approved and refused near a specific property.
How is PlanningLens approval rate data for Enfield calculated?
PlanningLens scrapes Enfield'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.