Which ward in Luton has the highest planning approval rate?

NORTHWELL at 91.0% based on 78 decisions.

Which ward in Luton has the lowest planning approval rate?

CENTRAL at 76.9% based on 13 decisions.

How much do planning approval rates vary across Luton?

There is a 14.1% gap between NORTHWELL and CENTRAL. Your postcode significantly affects outcomes.

Planning Approval Rates by Ward in Luton

Planning outcomes in Luton are highly localised. The gap between the most and least permissive wards is 14.1% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

4,480 real decisions·20 wards·Updated August 2026

87.3% approved overall. But 568 applications refused since 2020. Where you live in Luton shifts your odds by up to 14.1%. The council average doesn't tell you which side of that gap you're on.

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All 20 wards ranked

#	Ward	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	NORTHWELL	78	71	7	91.0%
2	LEWSEY	228	206	22	90.4%
3	WIGMORE	206	186	20	90.3%
4	CHALLNEY	362	326	36	90.1%
5	SAINTS	366	328	38	89.6%
6	STOPSLEY	232	206	26	88.8%
7	FARLEY	234	207	27	88.5%
8	DALLOW	330	292	38	88.5%
9	SUNDON PARK	127	112	15	88.2%
10	ICKNIELD	183	160	23	87.4%
11	BARNFIELD	206	178	28	86.4%
12	HIGH TOWN	213	184	29	86.4%
13	LEAGRAVE	260	224	36	86.2%
14	BRAMINGHAM	108	93	15	86.1%
15	SOUTH	503	431	72	85.7%
16	ROUND GREEN	201	172	29	85.6%
17	LIMBURY	172	145	27	84.3%
18	VAUXHALL	185	155	30	83.8%
19	BISCOT	251	207	44	82.5%
20	CENTRAL	13	10	3	76.9%

See how this applies to your postcode →

These are council averages. Your property is specific.

An extension might sail through in NORTHWELL but face serious resistance in CENTRAL.
Check your postcode to see what actually happens near your address.

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What the data tells us

A 14.1% gap separates the best and worst wards. NORTHWELL approves 91.0% of applications while CENTRAL approves just 76.9%. That's a fundamentally different planning environment.

High volume doesn't mean high approval. Some of the busiest wards aren't the most permissive. The number of applications a ward processes tells you nothing about how likely yours is to succeed.

Ward averages are a starting point, not a guarantee. Your specific outcome depends on your property, your neighbours, your proposal type and the comparable decisions near your address.

Before you spend £5,000+ on architects and drawings

568 planning applications in Luton have been refused since 2020. Many of those homeowners had already paid for drawings and application fees. A free, property-specific report shows you what gets approved — and what gets refused — near your property.

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Free · Property report emailed in minutes · Based on 3,780,000+ real decisions

More Luton planning data

Methodology: Covers 4,480 planning decisions in Luton, January 2020 to August 2026. Approval rate = approved / (approved + refused). Pending, withdrawn and invalid excluded. Ward boundaries reflect current electoral divisions. Data from Luton Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →