Luton planning approval rate

Luton council approved 90.2% of planning applications and refused 9.8%, based on 3,235 decisions analysed. Ranked 102nd out of 221 councils for strictness.

Last updated: March 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to present

90.2%

overall approval rate

3,235

Decisions analysed

2,917

Approved

318

Refused

Wards covered

Planning in Luton? 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 Luton. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.

Full (1,262 decided)

88.3%

Other (649 decided)

84.7%

Prior Approval (538 decided)

94.1%

Discharge of Conditions (519 decided)

99.4%

Certificate of Lawfulness (170 decided)

82.9%

Trees (42 decided)

100.0%

Advertisement (28 decided)

100.0%

Change of Use (22 decided)

68.2%

Approval rate by project type

These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Luton — mined from 3,235 proposal descriptions.

Rear Extension (1,839 decided)

92.0%

Garage / Parking (450 decided)

93.8%

New Build (313 decided)

85.0%

Side Extension (274 decided)

78.5%

Change of Use (Residential) (204 decided)

77.5%

Dormer (139 decided)

78.4%

Front Extension (109 decided)

84.4%

Loft Conversion (88 decided)

79.5%

Outbuilding (79 decided)

75.9%

Wraparound Extension (66 decided)

80.3%

Extension (General) (65 decided)

89.2%

Hip-to-Gable Conversion (32 decided)

78.1%

HMO (31 decided)

77.4%

Conservatory (29 decided)

89.7%

Annex (23 decided)

69.6%

Basement (12 decided)

83.3%

Approval rate by ward

Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Luton. Click any ward for detailed statistics.

SOUTH (330 decided)

90.3%

CHALLNEY (299 decided)

91.0%

SAINTS (286 decided)

93.0%

DALLOW (257 decided)

89.5%

LEAGRAVE (192 decided)

89.1%

BISCOT (191 decided)

86.4%

WIGMORE (159 decided)

95.0%

FARLEY (156 decided)

91.7%

LEWSEY (156 decided)

92.9%

STOPSLEY (155 decided)

91.6%

HIGH TOWN (149 decided)

91.9%

BARNFIELD (146 decided)

85.6%

ROUND GREEN (145 decided)

89.7%

VAUXHALL (136 decided)

89.0%

LIMBURY (136 decided)

87.5%

ICKNIELD (134 decided)

87.3%

SUNDON PARK (82 decided)

91.5%

BRAMINGHAM (59 decided)

83.1%

NORTHWELL (50 decided)

90.0%

Wards in Luton

SOUTH

90.3% approval · 330 decisions

CHALLNEY

91.0% approval · 299 decisions

SAINTS

93.0% approval · 286 decisions

DALLOW

89.5% approval · 257 decisions

LEAGRAVE

89.1% approval · 192 decisions

BISCOT

86.4% approval · 191 decisions

WIGMORE

95.0% approval · 159 decisions

FARLEY

91.7% approval · 156 decisions

LEWSEY

92.9% approval · 156 decisions

STOPSLEY

91.6% approval · 155 decisions

HIGH TOWN

91.9% approval · 149 decisions

BARNFIELD

85.6% approval · 146 decisions

ROUND GREEN

89.7% approval · 145 decisions

VAUXHALL

89.0% approval · 136 decisions

LIMBURY

87.5% approval · 136 decisions

ICKNIELD

87.3% approval · 134 decisions

SUNDON PARK

91.5% approval · 82 decisions

BRAMINGHAM

83.1% approval · 59 decisions

NORTHWELL

90.0% approval · 50 decisions

Recent comparable decisions

The most recent residential planning decisions in Luton, showing how the council decides real applications.

26/00033/LBC

Works to Listed Building: Installation of replacement signs: 2x double sided pan · SOUTH · Mon 02 Mar 2026

Approved

26/00032/ADV

Installation of replacement signs: 2x double sided panel to existing projecting · SOUTH · Mon 02 Mar 2026

Approved

26/00057/DOC

Development of the vacant site to provide 380 residential units (Class C3) and f · SOUTH · Thu 26 Feb 2026

Approved

Showing 3 of 200 comparable decisions. See all 200 in the Pro Report →

What gets approved near your property?

In Luton, 1 in 10 applications are refused. Your PlanningLens Pro Report gives you 17 pages of intelligence specific to your property:

✓ Ward-level approval rates for your exact area
✓ Common refusal reasons in Luton
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect

Get Luton Pro Report — £79

Less than one set of revised drawings. Based on 3,235 decisions.

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