Luton Council approves 79.8% of planning applications, based on 3,211 decisions from the council’s public planning portal. The national approval rate across the councils PlanningLens tracks is 87.43%. Luton is 7.6 percentage points below that rate.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 777 decided applications, Luton Council approved 83.0% of planning applications in 2025. Across 3,211 decisions on record (May 2012 to October 2026), the overall approval rate in Luton is 79.8%; the national approval rate across the councils PlanningLens tracks is 87.43%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Luton council planning portal records · Data to 21 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 Luton, including types that the headline rate leaves out, so its totals are larger than the headline figure.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | 1,167 | 357 | 1,524 | 76.6% |
| Other | 1,043 | 196 | 1,239 | 84.2% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 699 | 12 | 711 | 98.3% |
| Prior Approval | 584 | 95 | 679 | 86.0% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 278 | 63 | 341 | 81.5% |
| Trees | 70 | 1 | 71 | 98.6% |
| Advertisement | 54 | 7 | 61 | 88.5% |
| Change of Use | 30 | 19 | 49 | 61.2% |
| Listed Building | 11 | 0 | 11 | 100.0% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South | 436 | 82 | 518 | 84.2% |
| Challney | 323 | 58 | 381 | 84.8% |
| Saints | 322 | 58 | 380 | 84.7% |
| Dallow | 280 | 59 | 339 | 82.6% |
| Leagrave | 225 | 44 | 269 | 83.6% |
| Biscot | 204 | 57 | 261 | 78.2% |
| Stopsley | 218 | 35 | 253 | 86.2% |
| Farley | 211 | 34 | 245 | 86.1% |
| Lewsey | 209 | 25 | 234 | 89.3% |
| High Town | 190 | 34 | 224 | 84.8% |
| Barnfield | 179 | 42 | 221 | 81.0% |
| Round Green | 172 | 38 | 210 | 81.9% |
| Wigmore | 188 | 20 | 208 | 90.4% |
| Vauxhall | 156 | 40 | 196 | 79.6% |
| Icknield | 151 | 32 | 183 | 82.5% |
| Limbury | 138 | 34 | 172 | 80.2% |
| Sundon Park | 117 | 20 | 137 | 85.4% |
| Bramingham | 96 | 19 | 115 | 83.5% |
| Northwell | 77 | 9 | 86 | 89.5% |
| Central | 24 | 6 | 30 | 80.0% |
How Luton’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, down 5.4pp 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 26/00847/FULHH Challney | Erection of two storey side, single storey rear extension, alterations to fenest | Approved |
| 26/00853/FULHH Challney | Erection of single storey rear and first floor side and rear extension | Approved |
| 26/00644/FUL Challney | Demolition of an existing rear extension and the erection of a replacement singl | Approved |
| 26/00841/FUL Bramingham | Erection of single storey rear extension. | Approved |
| 26/00749/OUT Stopsley | Outline application for erection of marquee structure and associated hard landsc | Refused |
| 26/00633/FULHH Stopsley | Erection of a single storey side and rear extension, rear dormer and one front r | Approved |
| 26/00725/FULHH Round Green | Erection of first floor side and single storey rear extension. | Approved |
| 26/00889/FULHH Stopsley | Erection of a single storey side and rear extension | Approved |
| 26/00884/FULHH Northwell | Erection of single storey rear extension following demolition of existing store | Approved |
| 26/00854/FULHH Biscot | Erection of single storey rear extension. | 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 Luton's 3,211 decisions.
Check my postcodeCompare Luton's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
Dig deeper into Luton'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 Luton. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 3,211 real decisions from Luton 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 Luton'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 3,211 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Luton is 79.8%. The national approval rate across the councils PlanningLens tracks is 87.43%.
PlanningLens has analysed 3,211 planning decisions from Luton council. 2,563 were approved and 648 were refused. These figures cover every decision on record for the council, May 2012 to October 2026.
The average approval rate in Luton is 79.8%, 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 Luton? 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.