Leeds Council approves 86.5% of planning applications, based on 45,799 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. Leeds sits 2.1 percentage points below the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 6,849 decided applications, Leeds Council approved 84.6% of planning applications in 2025. Across 45,799 decisions analysed since January 2020, the overall approval rate in Leeds is 86.5%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Leeds 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 Leeds.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | 19,922 | 3,539 | 23,461 | 84.9% |
| Trees | 5,986 | 220 | 6,206 | 96.5% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 4,779 | 661 | 5,440 | 87.8% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 4,434 | 806 | 5,240 | 84.6% |
| Other | 2,282 | 673 | 2,955 | 77.2% |
| Listed Building | 1,182 | 101 | 1,283 | 92.1% |
| Advertisement | 1,040 | 174 | 1,214 | 85.7% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little London & Woodhouse | 2,863 | 179 | 3,042 | 94.1% |
| Harewood | 2,452 | 471 | 2,923 | 83.9% |
| Adel & Wharfedale | 2,143 | 322 | 2,465 | 86.9% |
| Horsforth | 2,171 | 265 | 2,436 | 89.1% |
| Roundhay | 2,079 | 314 | 2,393 | 86.9% |
| Wetherby | 2,050 | 289 | 2,339 | 87.6% |
| Guiseley & Rawdon | 1,863 | 250 | 2,113 | 88.2% |
| Headingley & Hyde Park | 1,472 | 317 | 1,789 | 82.3% |
| Calverley & Farsley | 1,445 | 226 | 1,671 | 86.5% |
| Alwoodley | 1,361 | 276 | 1,637 | 83.1% |
| Otley & Yeadon | 1,342 | 236 | 1,578 | 85.0% |
| Weetwood | 1,315 | 183 | 1,498 | 87.8% |
| Moortown | 1,251 | 181 | 1,432 | 87.4% |
| Hunslet & Riverside | 1,279 | 121 | 1,400 | 91.4% |
| Chapel Allerton | 1,004 | 222 | 1,226 | 81.9% |
| Morley North | 1,015 | 142 | 1,157 | 87.7% |
| Pudsey | 964 | 156 | 1,120 | 86.1% |
| Temple Newsam | 939 | 164 | 1,103 | 85.1% |
| Rothwell | 904 | 178 | 1,082 | 83.5% |
| Garforth & Swillington | 886 | 191 | 1,077 | 82.3% |
| Beeston & Holbeck | 927 | 117 | 1,044 | 88.8% |
| Morley South | 804 | 100 | 904 | 88.9% |
| Kippax & Methley | 736 | 158 | 894 | 82.3% |
| Ardsley & Robin Hood | 762 | 119 | 881 | 86.5% |
| Crossgates & Whinmoor | 738 | 136 | 874 | 84.4% |
Showing top 25 of 33 wards by volume. Your free property report includes the full ward breakdown.
See full ward breakdown →How Leeds’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, down 7.0pp since 2020.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from Leeds council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| 26/03908/DHH Rothwell | 4.00m single storey rear extension, 4.00m to ridge height and 2.60m to eaves | Approved |
| 26/03710/TR Wetherby | To cut down and remove stump of Norway Spruce in the garden. Tree in question - | Approved |
| 26/03648/FU Moortown | Single storey rear extension; infill of existing side window; alterations to lin | Approved |
| 26/03585/FU Beeston & Holbeck | Two storey side extension and insertion of new door and window to front | Approved |
| 26/03574/CLE Chapel Allerton | Certificate of Existing Lawful Development for Use as six self-contained flats | Approved |
| 26/03454/FU Horsforth | Addition of pitched roof to existing side dormer; part two storey, part single s | Approved |
| 26/03447/FU Adel & Wharfedale | Single storey rear extension with new patio area to side/rear | Approved |
| 26/03435/FU Harewood | Single storey side extension to link main dwelling to existing detached garage | Approved |
| 26/03370/FU Adel & Wharfedale | Part single storey, part two storey extension to rear | Approved |
| 26/03361/FU Little London & Woodhouse | Replacement of two external ATM machines with new surround; replacement of three | 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 Leeds's 45,799 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare Leeds's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
Dig deeper into Leeds'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 Leeds. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 45,799 real decisions from Leeds 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 Leeds'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 45,799 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Leeds is 86.5%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 45,799 planning decisions from Leeds council. 39,625 were approved and 6,174 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in Leeds is 86.5%, 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.
Writing about planning in Leeds? 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.