Lincoln Council approves 95.2% of planning applications, based on 6,956 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.3%. Lincoln sits 6.9 percentage points above the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 668 decided applications, Lincoln Council approved 96.1% of planning applications in 2025. Across 6,956 decisions analysed since January 2020, the overall approval rate in Lincoln is 95.2%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.3%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Lincoln council planning portal records · Updated June 2026 · Quote freely with attribution
Enter your postcode for a free, personalised approval pattern report, based on your ward and application type.
Not all applications are treated equally. Extension types, listed building consent, and change of use applications each have very different success rates in Lincoln.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | 2,494 | 161 | 2,655 | 93.9% |
| Trees | 1,453 | 89 | 1,542 | 94.2% |
| Other | 988 | 7 | 995 | 99.3% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 518 | 12 | 530 | 97.7% |
| Listed Building | 362 | 4 | 366 | 98.9% |
| Advertisement | 276 | 26 | 302 | 91.4% |
| Change of Use | 279 | 21 | 300 | 93.0% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 161 | 2 | 163 | 98.8% |
| Prior Approval | 94 | 9 | 103 | 91.3% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carholme | 1,185 | 58 | 1,243 | 95.3% |
| Hartsholme | 826 | 66 | 892 | 92.6% |
| Park | 817 | 58 | 875 | 93.4% |
| Abbey | 815 | 43 | 858 | 95.0% |
| Minster | 780 | 15 | 795 | 98.1% |
| Boultham | 694 | 30 | 724 | 95.9% |
| Castle | 450 | 15 | 465 | 96.8% |
| Birchwood | 293 | 20 | 313 | 93.6% |
| Moorland | 263 | 12 | 275 | 95.6% |
| Witham | 257 | 11 | 268 | 95.9% |
| Glebe | 228 | 3 | 231 | 98.7% |
How Lincoln’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, down 4.1pp since 2018.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from Lincoln council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| 2026/0069/FUL Park | Erection of a dwelling to the rear of 54 & 56 Ripon Street (Revised) | Refused |
| 2026/0317/CCC Carholme | To take down and rebuild 14.1 linear metres of low level wall and to install thr | Approved |
| 2026/0316/CCC Carholme | To take down and rebuild 14.1 linear metres of low level wall and to install thr | Approved |
| 2026/0260/HOU Witham | Erection of a single storey extension to side and front elevation. | Approved |
| 2026/0146/LBC Castle | External alterations including replacement front door; repointing of areas of ex | Approved |
| 2026/0026/FUL Carholme | Conversion of existing 7 bed HMO (Use Class Sui Generis) into 3no. flats (Use Cl | Refused |
| 2026/0237/HOU Moorland | Erection of a single storey side and rear extension. | Approved |
| 2026/0167/C4 Carholme | Change of use from Existing HMO (Class C4) to flexible use between HMO (Class C4 | Approved |
| 2026/0255/HOU Glebe | Erection of single storey and two storey rear extensions with accommodation in t | Approved |
| 2026/0215/HOU Abbey | Erection of fence and gate to rear garden. | 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 Lincoln's 6,956 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare Lincoln's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
Dig deeper into Lincoln'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 Lincoln. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 6,956 real decisions from Lincoln 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 Lincoln'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 6,956 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Lincoln is 95.2%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.3%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 6,956 planning decisions from Lincoln council. 6,625 were approved and 331 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in Lincoln is 95.2%, 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 Lincoln? 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.