Lambeth planning approval rate
Lambeth council approved 84.5% of planning applications and refused 15.5%, based on 31,836 decisions analysed. Ranked 45th out of 300 councils for strictness.
Last updated: August 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to August 2026
84.5%
overall approval rate
31,836
Decisions analysed
26,892
Approved
4,944
Refused
91
Wards covered
Planning in Lambeth? 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 Lambeth. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.
85.0%
68.3%
81.6%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Lambeth, mined from 31,836 proposal descriptions.
82.2%
87.3%
78.0%
84.7%
81.3%
89.2%
85.2%
85.2%
85.2%
84.3%
77.0%
83.1%
87.7%
65.6%
77.5%
77.8%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Lambeth. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
OVAL
88.8%
CLTOWN
80.6%
WATERL
91.2%
HERNEH
80.8%
CLTOW
85.9%
BISHOP
91.1%
STRCOM
83.9%
KENNIN
78.8%
STRSTL
82.2%
STLEN
78.3%
STRSTH
81.6%
HNHILL
85.8%
KNIGHT
70.6%
OVALWA
75.6%
STRHWE
90.9%
WESTDU
79.0%
THURPK
79.1%
CLAPC
82.0%
BRACRE
79.8%
COLDH
87.0%
Wards in Lambeth
OVAL
88.8% approval · 1,064 decisions
CLTOWN
80.6% approval · 1,043 decisions
WATERL
91.2% approval · 965 decisions
HERNEH
80.8% approval · 856 decisions
CLTOW
85.9% approval · 854 decisions
BISHOP
91.1% approval · 821 decisions
STRCOM
83.9% approval · 752 decisions
KENNIN
78.8% approval · 660 decisions
STRSTL
82.2% approval · 651 decisions
STLEN
78.3% approval · 650 decisions
STRSTH
81.6% approval · 648 decisions
HNHILL
85.8% approval · 648 decisions
KNIGHT
70.6% approval · 633 decisions
OVALWA
75.6% approval · 626 decisions
STRHWE
90.9% approval · 595 decisions
WESTDU
79.0% approval · 594 decisions
THURPK
79.1% approval · 579 decisions
CLAPC
82.0% approval · 571 decisions
BRACRE
79.8% approval · 570 decisions
COLDH
87.0% approval · 568 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in Lambeth, showing how the council decides real applications.
None
Conversion of first/second floor maisonette into 2 residential units, together w · BRNRTH · 13/08/2026
None
Erection of a single storey ground floor rear and side extension (Flat 2). · STRHWE · 13/08/2026
None
Erection of single storey outbuilding in the rear garden - Flat A. · BRRUSH · 13/08/2026
Showing 3 recent comparable decisions. See more in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In Lambeth, 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 Lambeth
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for Lambeth →
✓ Common refusal reasons in Lambeth
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free. Based on 31,836 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in Lambeth
What is the planning approval rate in Lambeth?
Based on 31,836 planning decisions analysed since 2020, Lambeth approved 84.5% of applications and refused 15.5%. The council is ranked 45th out of 300 UK councils for approval rate.
How many planning applications are refused in Lambeth?
Lambeth refuses 15.5% of planning applications, roughly 1 in 6. That is higher than the UK average of 11.4%. Out of 31,836 decided applications since 2020, 4,944 were refused. PlanningLens lets you check any postcode to see which applications were refused near a specific property.
Which areas of Lambeth have the highest planning approval rates?
The highest approval rates in Lambeth are in PRINCE'S (98.5%), ADJBOR (98.2%), and STOCKWELL (98.1%). Approval rates vary significantly by ward, see the full ward breakdown above.
What types of planning application are most common in Lambeth?
The most common planning application types in Lambeth are: Other (30,592 decisions, 85.0% approved), Prior Approval (1,043, 68.3%), and Full (201, 81.6%).
How long does a planning application take in Lambeth?
Planning applications in Lambeth take an average of 10.9 weeks to reach a decision, measured across 25,865 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. Lambeth decides approximately 5,306 planning applications per year.
How do I check planning applications in Lambeth?
You can search planning applications in Lambeth directly on the council's official planning portal. PlanningLens also lets you check any postcode against 31,836 historical decisions in Lambeth to see what's been approved and refused near a specific property.
How is PlanningLens approval rate data for Lambeth calculated?
PlanningLens scrapes Lambeth'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.