Islington planning approval rate
Islington council approved 82.8% of planning applications and refused 17.2%, based on 85,214 decisions analysed. Ranked 28th out of 300 councils for strictness.
Last updated: August 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to August 2026
82.8%
overall approval rate
85,214
Decisions analysed
70,582
Approved
14,632
Refused
80
Wards covered
Planning in Islington? 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 Islington. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.
82.9%
81.7%
46.7%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Islington, mined from 85,214 proposal descriptions.
80.7%
82.3%
67.2%
80.7%
76.5%
72.9%
71.7%
80.1%
85.9%
85.4%
67.2%
76.0%
83.0%
79.1%
78.9%
53.7%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Islington. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
College Park and Old Oak
81.0%
East Acton
84.1%
St. Marys - historic
82.9%
Leyton
84.4%
Bow East
82.0%
St. Peters - historic
81.0%
46
89.0%
Stratford New Town
76.5%
70
87.0%
Tokyngton
78.9%
7
75.5%
Kensal Green
80.5%
St. Georges - historic
83.9%
Tollington
75.8%
40
91.4%
72
83.6%
39
87.9%
Hanger Hill
83.3%
51
87.5%
Stonebridge
82.7%
Wards in Islington
College Park and Old Oak
81.0% approval · 7,449 decisions
East Acton
84.1% approval · 6,209 decisions
St. Marys - historic
82.9% approval · 4,827 decisions
Leyton
84.4% approval · 4,463 decisions
Bow East
82.0% approval · 4,400 decisions
St. Peters - historic
81.0% approval · 4,099 decisions
46
89.0% approval · 3,732 decisions
Stratford New Town
76.5% approval · 3,045 decisions
70
87.0% approval · 2,949 decisions
Tokyngton
78.9% approval · 2,577 decisions
7
75.5% approval · 2,545 decisions
Kensal Green
80.5% approval · 2,261 decisions
St. Georges - historic
83.9% approval · 2,229 decisions
Tollington
75.8% approval · 2,174 decisions
40
91.4% approval · 2,135 decisions
72
83.6% approval · 2,068 decisions
39
87.9% approval · 1,957 decisions
Hanger Hill
83.3% approval · 1,939 decisions
51
87.5% approval · 1,905 decisions
Stonebridge
82.7% approval · 1,863 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in Islington, showing how the council decides real applications.
P2026/1245/FUL
Construction of a single-story rear extension. Replacement of rear windows. Inst · · 13/08/2026
P2026/1604/LBC
Replacement of internal flat entrance doors, architraves and fanlights, installa · · 13/08/2026
P2026/1645/COL
Erection of single-storey rear extension and associated external and internal al · · 13/08/2026
Showing 3 recent comparable decisions. See more in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In Islington, 1 in 6 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 Islington
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for Islington →
✓ Common refusal reasons in Islington
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free. Based on 85,214 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in Islington
What is the planning approval rate in Islington?
Based on 85,214 planning decisions analysed since 2020, Islington approved 82.8% of applications and refused 17.2%. The council is ranked 28th out of 300 UK councils for approval rate.
How many planning applications are refused in Islington?
Islington refuses 17.2% of planning applications, roughly 1 in 6. That is higher than the UK average of 11.4%. Out of 85,214 decided applications since 2020, 14,632 were refused. PlanningLens lets you check any postcode to see which applications were refused near a specific property.
Which areas of Islington have the highest planning approval rates?
The highest approval rates in Islington are in BUNHILL (98.8%), FINSBURY PARK (98.8%), and CALEDONIAN (98.4%). Approval rates vary significantly by ward, see the full ward breakdown above.
What types of planning application are most common in Islington?
The most common planning application types in Islington are: Other (84,535 decisions, 82.9% approved), Full (619, 81.7%), and Prior Approval (60, 46.7%).
How long does a planning application take in Islington?
Planning applications in Islington take an average of 11.1 weeks to reach a decision, measured across 82,309 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. Islington decides approximately 14,202 planning applications per year.
How do I check planning applications in Islington?
You can search planning applications in Islington directly on the council's official planning portal. PlanningLens also lets you check any postcode against 85,214 historical decisions in Islington to see what's been approved and refused near a specific property.
How is PlanningLens approval rate data for Islington calculated?
PlanningLens scrapes Islington'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.