Havering Council approves 79.5% of planning applications, based on 24,144 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. Havering sits 9.1 percentage points below the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 2,530 decided applications, Havering Council approved 75.9% of planning applications in 2025. The average time from validation to decision in Havering is 9.7 weeks, measured across 21,008 decided applications. Across 24,144 decisions analysed since January 2020, the overall approval rate in Havering is 79.5%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Havering council planning portal records · Updated August 2026 · Quote freely with attribution
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Not all applications are treated equally. Extension types, listed building consent, and change of use applications each have very different success rates in Havering.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 16,832 | 4,390 | 21,222 | 79.3% |
| Prior Approval | 2,005 | 482 | 2,487 | 80.6% |
| Full | 349 | 86 | 435 | 80.2% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upminster | 1,583 | 361 | 1,944 | 81.4% |
| Emerson Park | 1,456 | 382 | 1,838 | 79.2% |
| Squirrels Heath | 1,095 | 308 | 1,403 | 78.0% |
| Cranham | 1,075 | 240 | 1,315 | 81.7% |
| St Andrew's | 979 | 262 | 1,241 | 78.9% |
| Mawneys | 949 | 275 | 1,224 | 77.5% |
| Harold Wood | 919 | 259 | 1,178 | 78.0% |
| Romford Town | 973 | 192 | 1,165 | 83.5% |
| Rainham & Wennington | 810 | 314 | 1,124 | 72.1% |
| South Hornchurch | 857 | 252 | 1,109 | 77.3% |
| Elm Park | 731 | 183 | 914 | 80.0% |
| Pettits | 743 | 151 | 894 | 83.1% |
| Hacton | 712 | 148 | 860 | 82.8% |
| Gooshays | 661 | 174 | 835 | 79.2% |
| Brooklands | 664 | 163 | 827 | 80.3% |
| Marshalls & Rise Pk | 585 | 145 | 730 | 80.1% |
| Heaton | 558 | 124 | 682 | 81.8% |
| Havering Park | 496 | 140 | 636 | 78.0% |
| Hylands | 516 | 118 | 634 | 81.4% |
| Havering-atte-Bower | 402 | 130 | 532 | 75.6% |
| Rush Grn & Crowlands | 363 | 129 | 492 | 73.8% |
| St Edwards | 366 | 112 | 478 | 76.6% |
| Hylands & Harrow Lg | 377 | 97 | 474 | 79.5% |
| St Albans | 195 | 116 | 311 | 62.7% |
| Beam Park | 153 | 60 | 213 | 71.8% |
Showing top 25 of 33 wards by volume. Your free property report includes the full ward breakdown.
See full ward breakdown →How Havering’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, down 10.3pp since 2018.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from Havering council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| P0511.26 South Hornchurch | New car parking areas | Approved |
| P0681.26 Marshalls & Rise Pk | Single storey front extension and change front round bay structure to square | Approved |
| P0680.26 Upminster | Part single storey part two storey rear and side extension | Approved |
| Y0160.26 Squirrels Heath | Single storey rear extension with an overall depth of 6m, a maximum height of 3. | Approved |
| P0590.26 Squirrels Heath | Alterations to front driveway, front boundary wall and extension of existing dro | Approved |
| P0397.26 Mawneys | Proposed addition of front dormer | Approved |
| P0498.26 Heaton | Single storey side/rear extension | Approved |
| P0643.26 Hylands & Harrow Lg | Erection of detached incidental outbuilding to rear garden for use as a home off | Approved |
| Y0162.26 Marshalls & Rise Pk | Single storey rear extension with an overall depth of 6m, a maximum height of 3. | Approved |
| Y0164.26 Rush Grn & Crowlands | Single storey rear extension with an overall depth of 4m, a maximum height of 4m | 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 Havering's 24,144 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare Havering's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
Dig deeper into Havering'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 Havering. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 24,144 real decisions from Havering 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 Havering'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 24,144 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Havering is 79.5%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 24,144 planning decisions from Havering council. 19,186 were approved and 4,958 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in Havering is 79.5%, 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.
The average time from validation to decision in Havering is 9.7 weeks, measured across 21,008 decided applications. This PlanningLens figure is calculated from decision dates published by Havering council itself, reflecting actual elapsed time rather than statutory targets.
Writing about planning in Havering? 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.