Harlow Council approves – of planning applications, based on 1,727 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. Harlow is closely in line with the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 1,727 decided applications on record (April 2021 to September 2026), Harlow Council approved – of planning applications. The national average approval rate across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Harlow council planning portal records · Data to 29 September 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 Harlow.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | – | – | 1,541 | – |
| Discharge of Conditions | – | – | 431 | – |
| Trees | – | – | 274 | – |
| Other | – | – | 215 | – |
| Advertisement | – | – | 127 | – |
| Listed Building | – | – | 76 | – |
| Prior Approval | – | – | 57 | – |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | – | – | 14 | – |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Hall North | – | – | 86 | – |
| Old Harlow West | – | – | 72 | – |
| Town Centre | – | – | 59 | – |
| Sumners And Kingsmoor East | – | – | 56 | – |
| Newhall | – | – | 53 | – |
| Great Parndon North | – | – | 52 | – |
| Mark Hall South | – | – | 51 | – |
| Netteswell North | – | – | 49 | – |
| Potter Street | – | – | 48 | – |
| Churchgate | – | – | 45 | – |
| Gilden Park And Mulberry Green | – | – | 44 | – |
| Passmores North | – | – | 41 | – |
| Little Parndon West | – | – | 35 | – |
| Great Parndon West | – | – | 32 | – |
| Netteswell South | – | – | 29 | – |
| Passmores South | – | – | 28 | – |
| Church Langley South | – | – | 27 | – |
| Little Parndon East | – | – | 25 | – |
| Stewards | – | – | 21 | – |
| Latton Bush East | – | – | 18 | – |
| Latton Bush West | – | – | 15 | – |
| Bush Fair West A | – | – | 14 | – |
| Church Langley North | – | – | 12 | – |
| Netteswell Central | – | – | 12 | – |
| Bush Fair East A | – | – | 7 | – |
How Harlow’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, unchanged since 2021.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from Harlow council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| HW/HSE/26/00258 Sumners And Kingsmoor East | Part demolition of existing dwelling. Construction of ground floor front and rea | Approved |
| HW/HSE/26/00299 Little Parndon West | Erection of a single storey front extension for an extended porch | Approved |
| HW/HSE/26/00242 Bush Fair East A | Single storey rear extension with alterations to the front elevation, including | Approved |
| HW/HSE/26/00309 Newhall | Construction of a side facing subordinate dormer for a loft conversion with 4 ro | Approved |
| HW/HSE/26/00292 Bush Fair East A | Proposed ramp access to side entrance | Approved |
| HW/HSE/26/00296 Bush Fair West A | Proposed front access ramp | Approved |
| HW/PALHE/26/00331 Church Langley South | Demolition of existing conservatory and erection of new 4m deep extension | Approved |
| HW/DEM/26/00303 Great Parndon West | Demolition of garage block 114-122 Jerounds | Approved |
| HW/FUL/26/00288 Latton Bush West | Retention of single storey Portakabin modular school building for the period of | Approved |
| HW/HSE/26/00279 Latton Bush West | Construction of a single storey rear extension and two-storey side extension abo | 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 Harlow's 1,727 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare Harlow's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
More council comparisons coming soon.
Dig deeper into Harlow'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 Harlow. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 1,727 real decisions from Harlow 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 Harlow'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 1,727 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Harlow is –. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 1,727 planning decisions from Harlow council. – were approved and – were refused. These figures cover every decision on record for the council, April 2021 to September 2026.
The average approval rate in Harlow is –, 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 Harlow? 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.