Lincoln Council approves 94.2% of planning applications, based on 3,466 decisions from the council’s public planning portal. The national approval rate across the councils PlanningLens tracks is 87.43%. Lincoln is 6.7 percentage points above that rate.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 668 decided applications, Lincoln Council approved 96.1% of planning applications in 2025. Across 3,466 decisions on record (January 2018 to October 2026), the overall approval rate in Lincoln is 94.2%; the national approval rate across the councils PlanningLens tracks is 87.43%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Lincoln council planning portal records · Data to 20 October 2026 · Quote freely with attribution
Enter your postcode to see approval patterns for your ward and application type.
This table counts every decided application in Lincoln, including types that the headline rate leaves out, so its totals are larger than the headline figure.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | 2,580 | 164 | 2,744 | 94.0% |
| Trees | 1,517 | 92 | 1,609 | 94.3% |
| Other | 1,014 | 8 | 1,022 | 99.2% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 526 | 12 | 538 | 97.8% |
| Listed Building | 381 | 4 | 385 | 99.0% |
| Advertisement | 288 | 26 | 314 | 91.7% |
| Change of Use | 279 | 21 | 300 | 93.0% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 171 | 2 | 173 | 98.8% |
| Prior Approval | 96 | 9 | 105 | 91.4% |
The free check shows approval patterns for your postcode. The property report follows by email.
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 | 1,225 | 59 | 1,284 | 95.4% |
| Hartsholme | 861 | 68 | 929 | 92.7% |
| Park | 850 | 59 | 909 | 93.5% |
| Abbey | 838 | 43 | 881 | 95.1% |
| Minster | 802 | 15 | 817 | 98.2% |
| Boultham | 709 | 31 | 740 | 95.8% |
| Castle | 472 | 15 | 487 | 96.9% |
| Birchwood | 303 | 21 | 324 | 93.5% |
| Moorland | 269 | 12 | 281 | 95.7% |
| Witham | 270 | 11 | 281 | 96.1% |
| Glebe | 236 | 4 | 240 | 98.3% |
How Lincoln’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, down 1.3pp since 2018.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Each reference links to the record on the council’s planning portal.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| 2026/0523/FUL Park | Conversion to a six-bedroom HMO (use class C4), including ground-floor sleeping | Approved |
| 2026/0519/LBC Park | Repair and conservation works to include roof, tower and masonry repairs, reinst | Approved |
| 2026/0518/FUL Park | External repair and conservation works to include reroofing of the north aisle a | Approved |
| 2026/0326/FUL Park | Replacement of 3 windows to front elevation and 2 windows on side elevation. | Approved |
| 2026/0517/HOU Witham | Erection of single storey rear extension. | Approved |
| 2026/0556/HOU Glebe | Erection of single storey rear extension. | Approved |
| 2026/0513/HOU Glebe | Erection of single storey side and rear extension. | Approved |
| 2026/0430/HOU Hartsholme | Erection of an outbuilding within the front curtilage of the property to provide | Approved |
| 2026/0393/HOU Minster | Erection of a single storey extension, part two storey part single storey side e | Approved |
| 2026/0501/FUL Carholme | Change of use of existing garage and office space and erection of a two-storey e | Approved |
See what has been approved and refused near your address. The property report covers the 20 nearest decisions, refusal patterns in your ward and approval rates by project type, drawn from Lincoln's 3,466 decisions.
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 3,466 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 3,466 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Lincoln is 94.2%. The national approval rate across the councils PlanningLens tracks is 87.43%.
PlanningLens has analysed 3,466 planning decisions from Lincoln council. 3,264 were approved and 202 were refused. These figures cover every decision on record for the council, January 2018 to October 2026.
The average approval rate in Lincoln is 94.2%, 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.