Harlow planning approval rate

Harlow council approved 98.0% of planning applications and refused 2.0%, based on 2,497 decisions analysed. Ranked 221st out of 235 councils for strictness.

Last updated: April 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to present

98.0%

overall approval rate

2,497

Decisions analysed

2,446

Approved

Refused

Wards covered

Planning in Harlow? 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 Harlow. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.

Full (1,413 decided)

99.6%

Discharge of Conditions (395 decided)

99.5%

Trees (248 decided)

96.4%

Other (190 decided)

97.9%

Advertisement (120 decided)

100.0%

Listed Building (72 decided)

100.0%

Prior Approval (57 decided)

50.9%

Approval rate by project type

These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Harlow — mined from 2,497 proposal descriptions.

Garage / Parking (427 decided)

99.3%

Rear Extension (423 decided)

98.8%

Side Extension (161 decided)

100.0%

Change of Use (Residential) (109 decided)

100.0%

New Build (105 decided)

99.0%

Extension (General) (97 decided)

99.0%

Outbuilding (94 decided)

98.9%

Front Extension (67 decided)

100.0%

Dormer (49 decided)

100.0%

Loft Conversion (41 decided)

100.0%

Conservatory (37 decided)

100.0%

HMO (21 decided)

95.2%

Annex (21 decided)

100.0%

Wraparound Extension (18 decided)

100.0%

Approval rate by ward

Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Harlow. Click any ward for detailed statistics.

Mark Hall North (70 decided)

100.0%

Old Harlow West (58 decided)

100.0%

Sumners And Kingsmoor East (45 decided)

100.0%

Town Centre (44 decided)

100.0%

Great Parndon North (43 decided)

97.7%

Newhall (42 decided)

100.0%

Netteswell North (41 decided)

97.6%

Mark Hall South (40 decided)

92.5%

Churchgate (38 decided)

100.0%

Potter Street (35 decided)

100.0%

Gilden Park And Mulberry Green (30 decided)

96.7%

Little Parndon West (30 decided)

96.7%

Passmores North (27 decided)

100.0%

Passmores South (23 decided)

100.0%

Church Langley South (23 decided)

100.0%

Netteswell South (23 decided)

95.7%

Little Parndon East (22 decided)

100.0%

Great Parndon West (20 decided)

100.0%

Wards in Harlow

Mark Hall North

100.0% approval · 70 decisions

Old Harlow West

100.0% approval · 58 decisions

Sumners And Kingsmoor East

100.0% approval · 45 decisions

Town Centre

100.0% approval · 44 decisions

Great Parndon North

97.7% approval · 43 decisions

Newhall

100.0% approval · 42 decisions

Netteswell North

97.6% approval · 41 decisions

Mark Hall South

92.5% approval · 40 decisions

Churchgate

100.0% approval · 38 decisions

Potter Street

100.0% approval · 35 decisions

Gilden Park And Mulberry Green

96.7% approval · 30 decisions

Little Parndon West

96.7% approval · 30 decisions

Passmores North

100.0% approval · 27 decisions

Passmores South

100.0% approval · 23 decisions

Church Langley South

100.0% approval · 23 decisions

Netteswell South

95.7% approval · 23 decisions

Little Parndon East

100.0% approval · 22 decisions

Great Parndon West

100.0% approval · 20 decisions

Recent comparable decisions

The most recent residential planning decisions in Harlow, showing how the council decides real applications.

HW/ADV/26/00058

Replacement of Primark building signage to new specification · Town Centre · Mon 30 Mar 2026

Approved

HW/PALHE/26/00044

Erection of a single-storey rear extension extending 6 metres beyond the origina · Great Parndon North · Thu 05 Mar 2026

Refused

HW/HSE/26/00071

Erection of garden room · Churchgate · Fri 27 Mar 2026

Approved

Showing 3 of 200 comparable decisions. See all 200 in the Pro Report →

What gets approved near your property?

In Harlow, 1 in 50 applications are refused. Your PlanningLens Pro Report gives you 17 pages of intelligence specific to your property:

✓ Ward-level approval rates for your exact area
✓ Common refusal reasons in Harlow
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect

Get Harlow Pro Report — £79

Less than one set of revised drawings. Based on 2,497 decisions.

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