Middlesbrough planning approval rate
Middlesbrough council approved 92.3% of planning applications and refused 7.7%, based on 18,723 decisions analysed. Ranked 166th out of 284 councils for strictness.
Last updated: June 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to present
92.3%
overall approval rate
18,723
Decisions analysed
17,279
Approved
1,444
Refused
22
Wards covered
Planning in Middlesbrough? 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 Middlesbrough. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.
94.5%
86.6%
93.7%
90.5%
79.9%
93.0%
93.2%
85.0%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Middlesbrough, mined from 18,723 proposal descriptions.
92.8%
91.0%
97.4%
85.2%
83.8%
90.3%
89.5%
92.4%
83.0%
78.9%
90.4%
84.7%
79.7%
84.0%
94.1%
58.3%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Middlesbrough. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
Nunthorpe
92.0%
Coulby Newham
95.4%
Linthorpe
89.5%
Central
90.0%
Marton West
93.4%
Park
87.2%
Marton East
90.7%
Kader
89.7%
Stainton And Thornton
94.5%
Brambles/Thorntree
92.8%
Ladgate
94.7%
Acklam
88.9%
Newport
79.3%
Hemlington
93.5%
Longlands/Beechwood
82.3%
Park End/Beckfield
93.9%
Berwick Hills/Pallister
93.2%
Ayresome
80.3%
North Ormesby
86.5%
Trimdon
90.1%
Wards in Middlesbrough
Nunthorpe
92.0% approval · 1,177 decisions
Coulby Newham
95.4% approval · 1,132 decisions
Linthorpe
89.5% approval · 1,110 decisions
Central
90.0% approval · 1,060 decisions
Marton West
93.4% approval · 1,012 decisions
Park
87.2% approval · 820 decisions
Marton East
90.7% approval · 819 decisions
Kader
89.7% approval · 798 decisions
Stainton And Thornton
94.5% approval · 566 decisions
Brambles/Thorntree
92.8% approval · 470 decisions
Ladgate
94.7% approval · 419 decisions
Acklam
88.9% approval · 387 decisions
Newport
79.3% approval · 275 decisions
Hemlington
93.5% approval · 247 decisions
Longlands/Beechwood
82.3% approval · 237 decisions
Park End/Beckfield
93.9% approval · 230 decisions
Berwick Hills/Pallister
93.2% approval · 220 decisions
Ayresome
80.3% approval · 183 decisions
North Ormesby
86.5% approval · 156 decisions
Trimdon
90.1% approval · 142 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in Middlesbrough, showing how the council decides real applications.
Change of use from industrial unit (use class B2) to MOT testing centre and car · Central · 2026-06-18
Replacement of conservatory roof from glazed to tiled · Marton West · 2026-06-12
Two storey extension to side · Kader · 2026-06-12
Showing 3 of 200 comparable decisions. See all 200 in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In Middlesbrough, 1 in 13 applications are refused. Your PlanningLens Full Planning Analysis gives you 17 pages of intelligence specific to your property:
✓ Ward-level approval rates for your exact area
✓ Common refusal reasons in Middlesbrough
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for Middlesbrough →
✓ Common refusal reasons in Middlesbrough
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free. Based on 18,723 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in Middlesbrough
What is the planning approval rate in Middlesbrough?
Based on 18,723 planning decisions analysed since 2020, Middlesbrough approved 92.3% of applications and refused 7.7%. The council is ranked 166th out of 284 UK councils for approval rate.
How many planning applications are refused in Middlesbrough?
Middlesbrough refuses 7.7% of planning applications, roughly 1 in 13. That is lower than the UK average of 11.7%. Out of 18,723 decided applications since 2020, 1,444 were refused. PlanningLens lets you check any postcode to see which applications were refused near a specific property.
Which areas of Middlesbrough have the highest planning approval rates?
The highest approval rates in Middlesbrough are in Coulby Newham (95.4%), Ladgate (94.7%), and Stainton And Thornton (94.5%). Approval rates vary significantly by ward, see the full ward breakdown above.
What types of planning application are most common in Middlesbrough?
The most common planning application types in Middlesbrough are: Other (12,099 decisions, 94.5% approved), Full (3,665, 86.6%), and Advertisement (1,053, 93.7%).
How long does a planning application take in Middlesbrough?
Planning applications in Middlesbrough take an average of 8.9 weeks to reach a decision, measured across 166 decisions with a recorded timeline. That is slower than the 8-week statutory target for householder applications (the statutory targets are 8 weeks for householder applications and 13 weeks for major developments). PlanningLens measures the actual time each application takes, not just the target. Middlesbrough decides approximately 3,120 planning applications per year.
How do I check planning applications in Middlesbrough?
You can search planning applications in Middlesbrough directly on the council's official planning portal. PlanningLens also lets you check any postcode against 18,723 historical decisions in Middlesbrough to see what's been approved and refused near a specific property.
How is PlanningLens approval rate data for Middlesbrough calculated?
PlanningLens scrapes Middlesbrough's official planning portal and analyses every published decision since January 2020. The approval rate is calculated as approved decisions divided by total decided applications, excluding withdrawn and pending applications. The full methodology, data sourcing, and Creative Commons BY 4.0 licensing terms are published at planninglens.co.uk/methodology.