Leicester planning approval rate
Leicester council approved 83.3% of planning applications and refused 16.7%, based on 538 decisions analysed. Ranked 34th out of 284 councils for strictness.
Last updated: June 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to present
83.3%
overall approval rate
538
Decisions analysed
448
Approved
90
Refused
21
Wards covered
Planning in Leicester? 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 Leicester. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.
81.7%
90.0%
95.7%
86.7%
68.0%
73.3%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Leicester, mined from 538 proposal descriptions.
84.2%
74.1%
82.5%
86.4%
88.2%
53.8%
83.3%
80.0%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Leicester. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
Castle
90.5%
Knighton
85.9%
Evington
81.0%
Stoneygate
71.4%
Rushey Mead
81.8%
Abbey
83.9%
Humberstone & Hamilton
93.1%
Troon
88.9%
Westcotes
80.0%
Beaumont Leys
95.2%
North Evington
75.0%
Wards in Leicester
Castle
90.5% approval · 74 decisions
Knighton
85.9% approval · 64 decisions
Evington
81.0% approval · 42 decisions
Stoneygate
71.4% approval · 35 decisions
Rushey Mead
81.8% approval · 33 decisions
Abbey
83.9% approval · 31 decisions
Humberstone & Hamilton
93.1% approval · 29 decisions
Troon
88.9% approval · 27 decisions
Westcotes
80.0% approval · 25 decisions
Beaumont Leys
95.2% approval · 21 decisions
North Evington
75.0% approval · 20 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in Leicester, showing how the council decides real applications.
Construction of single storey extension at side; dormer at rear; removal of rear · Abbey · 2026-03-12
Construction of single storey extension at front and rear of house (Class C3) · Troon · 2026-03-12
Construction of single storey dwelling house at rear (1 Bed) (Class C3); boundar · Thurncourt · 2026-03-12
Showing 3 of 200 comparable decisions. See all 200 in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In Leicester, 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 Leicester
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for Leicester →
✓ Common refusal reasons in Leicester
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free. Based on 538 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in Leicester
What is the planning approval rate in Leicester?
Based on 538 planning decisions analysed since 2020, Leicester approved 83.3% of applications and refused 16.7%. The council is ranked 34th out of 284 UK councils for approval rate.
How many planning applications are refused in Leicester?
Leicester refuses 16.7% of planning applications, roughly 1 in 6. That is higher than the UK average of 11.7%. Out of 538 decided applications since 2020, 90 were refused. PlanningLens lets you check any postcode to see which applications were refused near a specific property.
Which areas of Leicester have the highest planning approval rates?
The highest approval rates in Leicester are in Castle (90.5%), Knighton (85.9%). Approval rates vary significantly by ward, see the full ward breakdown above.
What types of planning application are most common in Leicester?
The most common planning application types in Leicester are: Full (300 decisions, 81.7% approved), Certificate of Lawfulness (51, 80.4%), and Discharge of Conditions (50, 90.0%).
How long does a planning application take in Leicester?
Planning applications in Leicester take an average of 11.1 weeks to reach a decision, measured across 533 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. Leicester decides approximately 90 planning applications per year.
How do I check planning applications in Leicester?
You can search planning applications in Leicester directly on the council's official planning portal. PlanningLens also lets you check any postcode against 538 historical decisions in Leicester to see what's been approved and refused near a specific property.
How is PlanningLens approval rate data for Leicester calculated?
PlanningLens scrapes Leicester'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.