Leeds planning approval rate
Leeds council approved 86.5% of planning applications and refused 13.5%, based on 45,799 decisions analysed. Ranked 64th out of 300 councils for strictness.
Last updated: August 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to August 2026
86.5%
overall approval rate
45,799
Decisions analysed
39,625
Approved
6,174
Refused
33
Wards covered
Planning in Leeds? 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 Leeds. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.
84.9%
96.5%
87.8%
77.2%
92.1%
85.7%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Leeds, mined from 45,799 proposal descriptions.
88.9%
86.1%
84.5%
80.6%
85.3%
87.2%
82.7%
78.2%
87.2%
79.0%
72.4%
82.4%
76.6%
80.9%
75.1%
79.7%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Leeds. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
Little London & Woodhouse
94.1%
Harewood
83.9%
Adel & Wharfedale
86.9%
Horsforth
89.1%
Roundhay
86.9%
Wetherby
87.6%
Guiseley & Rawdon
88.2%
Headingley & Hyde Park
82.3%
Calverley & Farsley
86.5%
Alwoodley
83.1%
Otley & Yeadon
85.0%
Weetwood
87.8%
Moortown
87.4%
Hunslet & Riverside
91.4%
Chapel Allerton
81.9%
Morley North
87.7%
Pudsey
86.1%
Temple Newsam
85.1%
Rothwell
83.5%
Garforth & Swillington
82.3%
Wards in Leeds
Little London & Woodhouse
94.1% approval · 3,042 decisions
Harewood
83.9% approval · 2,923 decisions
Adel & Wharfedale
86.9% approval · 2,465 decisions
Horsforth
89.1% approval · 2,436 decisions
Roundhay
86.9% approval · 2,393 decisions
Wetherby
87.6% approval · 2,339 decisions
Guiseley & Rawdon
88.2% approval · 2,113 decisions
Headingley & Hyde Park
82.3% approval · 1,789 decisions
Calverley & Farsley
86.5% approval · 1,671 decisions
Alwoodley
83.1% approval · 1,637 decisions
Otley & Yeadon
85.0% approval · 1,578 decisions
Weetwood
87.8% approval · 1,498 decisions
Moortown
87.4% approval · 1,432 decisions
Hunslet & Riverside
91.4% approval · 1,400 decisions
Chapel Allerton
81.9% approval · 1,226 decisions
Morley North
87.7% approval · 1,157 decisions
Pudsey
86.1% approval · 1,120 decisions
Temple Newsam
85.1% approval · 1,103 decisions
Rothwell
83.5% approval · 1,082 decisions
Garforth & Swillington
82.3% approval · 1,077 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in Leeds, showing how the council decides real applications.
4.00m single storey rear extension, 4.00m to ridge height and 2.60m to eaves · Rothwell · Fri 07 Aug 2026
To cut down and remove stump of Norway Spruce in the garden. Tree in question - · Wetherby · Fri 07 Aug 2026
Single storey rear extension; infill of existing side window; alterations to lin · Moortown · Fri 07 Aug 2026
Showing 3 recent comparable decisions. See more in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In Leeds, 1 in 7 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 Leeds
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for Leeds →
✓ Common refusal reasons in Leeds
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free. Based on 45,799 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in Leeds
What is the planning approval rate in Leeds?
Based on 45,799 planning decisions analysed since 2020, Leeds approved 86.5% of applications and refused 13.5%. The council is ranked 64th out of 300 UK councils for approval rate.
How many planning applications are refused in Leeds?
Leeds refuses 13.5% of planning applications, roughly 1 in 7. That is higher than the UK average of 11.4%. Out of 45,799 decided applications since 2020, 6,174 were refused. PlanningLens lets you check any postcode to see which applications were refused near a specific property.
Which areas of Leeds have the highest planning approval rates?
The highest approval rates in Leeds are in Little London & Woodhouse (94.1%), Hunslet & Riverside (91.4%), and Horsforth (89.1%). Approval rates vary significantly by ward, see the full ward breakdown above.
What types of planning application are most common in Leeds?
The most common planning application types in Leeds are: Full (23,461 decisions, 84.9% approved), Trees (6,206, 96.5%), and Discharge of Conditions (5,440, 87.8%).
How long does a planning application take in Leeds?
Planning applications in Leeds take an average of 10.6 weeks to reach a decision, measured across 45,388 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. Leeds decides approximately 7,633 planning applications per year.
How do I check planning applications in Leeds?
You can search planning applications in Leeds directly on the council's official planning portal. PlanningLens also lets you check any postcode against 45,799 historical decisions in Leeds to see what's been approved and refused near a specific property.
How is PlanningLens approval rate data for Leeds calculated?
PlanningLens scrapes Leeds' 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.