Kensington & Chelsea Council approves 92.5% of planning applications, based on 33,240 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.3%. Kensington & Chelsea sits 4.2 percentage points above the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 4,061 decided applications, Kensington & Chelsea Council approved 95.2% of planning applications in 2025. The average time from validation to decision in Kensington & Chelsea is 8.6 weeks, measured across 29,529 decided applications. Across 33,240 decisions analysed since January 2020, the overall approval rate in Kensington & Chelsea is 92.5%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.3%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Kensington & Chelsea council planning portal records · Updated June 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 Kensington & Chelsea.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 25,622 | 1,817 | 27,439 | 93.4% |
| Full | 5,040 | 648 | 5,688 | 88.6% |
| Prior Approval | 69 | 44 | 113 | 61.1% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brompton and Hans Town | 3,628 | 267 | 3,895 | 93.1% |
| Campden | 2,592 | 239 | 2,831 | 91.6% |
| Royal Hospital | 2,388 | 143 | 2,531 | 94.4% |
| Stanley | 2,087 | 138 | 2,225 | 93.8% |
| Holland | 1,914 | 174 | 2,088 | 91.7% |
| Norland | 1,899 | 175 | 2,074 | 91.6% |
| Queen's Gate | 1,894 | 167 | 2,061 | 91.9% |
| Abingdon | 1,876 | 182 | 2,058 | 91.2% |
| Courtfield | 1,846 | 178 | 2,024 | 91.2% |
| Redcliffe | 1,861 | 148 | 2,009 | 92.6% |
| Pembridge | 1,463 | 128 | 1,591 | 92.0% |
| Colville | 1,324 | 134 | 1,458 | 90.8% |
| Chelsea Riverside | 925 | 100 | 1,025 | 90.2% |
| St Helen's | 931 | 90 | 1,021 | 91.2% |
| Earl's Court | 796 | 87 | 883 | 90.1% |
| Golborne | 688 | 55 | 743 | 92.6% |
| Dalgarno | 448 | 24 | 472 | 94.9% |
| Notting Dale | 425 | 43 | 468 | 90.8% |
| Brompton | 439 | 10 | 449 | 97.8% |
| Hans Town | 258 | 4 | 262 | 98.5% |
| Queen'S Gate | 251 | 9 | 260 | 96.5% |
| Outside Borough | 258 | 0 | 258 | 100.0% |
| Earl'S Court | 207 | 3 | 210 | 98.6% |
| Cremorne | 110 | 2 | 112 | 98.2% |
| Notting Barns | 107 | 0 | 107 | 100.0% |
Showing top 25 of 26 wards by volume. Your free property report includes the full ward breakdown.
See full ward breakdown →How Kensington & Chelsea’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, up 3.0pp since 2018.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from Kensington & Chelsea council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| PP/25/05568 Redcliffe | Creation of upper roof terrace; removal and replacement of garage and car lift w | Approved |
| CL/25/06425 Pembridge | Confirmation that the ongoing use of the ground and basement maisonette flat as | Approved |
| ARB/25/06208 Stanley | Prune 1 x Fig (rear) | Approved |
| ARB/25/06209 Queen's Gate | Prune 1 x Magnolia (rear) | Approved |
| ARB/25/06269 Abingdon | Prune 1x Bay at front and 1x Crab Apple at rear | Approved |
| ARB/25/06141 Brompton and Hans Town | Prune 3 x Silver Birch in rear garden. | Approved |
| PP/25/03896 Norland | Maintenance works to building fabric; replacement of single glazed timber sash w | Approved |
| ARB/25/06181 Courtfield | Prune 1 x Ash (T1) in front garden. | Approved |
| LB/25/04617 Royal Hospital | Replacement of rooflight with conservation style rooflight as per attached desig | Approved |
| LB/25/05413 Campden | Installation of eybolts (temporary fixings) to external walls to be able to hang | 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 Kensington & Chelsea's 33,240 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare Kensington & Chelsea's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
Dig deeper into Kensington & Chelsea'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 Kensington & Chelsea. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 33,240 real decisions from Kensington & Chelsea 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 Kensington & Chelsea'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 33,240 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Kensington & Chelsea is 92.5%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.3%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 33,240 planning decisions from Kensington & Chelsea council. 30,731 were approved and 2,509 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in Kensington & Chelsea is 92.5%, 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 Kensington & Chelsea is 8.6 weeks, measured across 29,529 decided applications. This PlanningLens figure is calculated from decision dates published by Kensington & Chelsea council itself, reflecting actual elapsed time rather than statutory targets.
Writing about planning in Kensington & Chelsea? 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.