Middlesbrough planning approval rate

Middlesbrough council approved 83.1% of planning applications and refused 16.9%, based on 3,412 decisions analysed. Ranked 28th out of 221 councils for strictness.

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

83.1%

overall approval rate

3,412

Decisions analysed

2,836

Approved

576

Refused

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.

Full (2,187 decided)

81.8%

Other (298 decided)

93.3%

Trees (221 decided)

88.7%

Change of Use (213 decided)

73.2%

Advertisement (148 decided)

83.1%

Certificate of Lawfulness (102 decided)

86.3%

Prior Approval (92 decided)

80.4%

Discharge of Conditions (91 decided)

83.5%

Listed Building (60 decided)

95.0%

Approval rate by project type

These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Middlesbrough — mined from 3,412 proposal descriptions.

Extension (General) (1,155 decided)

81.5%

Garage / Parking (484 decided)

80.6%

Change of Use (Residential) (260 decided)

73.8%

Rear Extension (168 decided)

79.2%

Dormer (140 decided)

59.3%

New Build (137 decided)

72.3%

Side Extension (109 decided)

75.2%

HMO (85 decided)

69.4%

Conservatory (81 decided)

87.7%

Outbuilding (74 decided)

83.8%

Flat Conversion (36 decided)

75.0%

Annex (26 decided)

69.2%

Front Extension (25 decided)

68.0%

Loft Conversion (17 decided)

64.7%

Approval rate by ward

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

Central (511 decided)

84.0%

Nunthorpe (300 decided)

86.3%

Park (239 decided)

82.0%

Linthorpe (201 decided)

78.6%

Marton East (195 decided)

78.5%

Marton West (187 decided)

81.8%

Kader (180 decided)

79.4%

Acklam (163 decided)

85.3%

Coulby Newham (159 decided)

88.7%

Newport (142 decided)

69.7%

Longlands/Beechwood (129 decided)

77.5%

Stainton And Thornton (118 decided)

87.3%

Ayresome (113 decided)

77.0%

Brambles/Thorntree (93 decided)

88.2%

Ladgate (74 decided)

87.8%

Trimdon (64 decided)

84.4%

Park End/Beckfield (63 decided)

88.9%

Berwick Hills/Pallister (55 decided)

81.8%

Hemlington (45 decided)

84.4%

North Ormesby (29 decided)

72.4%

Wards in Middlesbrough

Central

84.0% approval · 511 decisions

Nunthorpe

86.3% approval · 300 decisions

Park

82.0% approval · 239 decisions

Linthorpe

78.6% approval · 201 decisions

Marton East

78.5% approval · 195 decisions

Marton West

81.8% approval · 187 decisions

Kader

79.4% approval · 180 decisions

Acklam

85.3% approval · 163 decisions

Coulby Newham

88.7% approval · 159 decisions

Newport

69.7% approval · 142 decisions

Longlands/Beechwood

77.5% approval · 129 decisions

Stainton And Thornton

87.3% approval · 118 decisions

Ayresome

77.0% approval · 113 decisions

Brambles/Thorntree

88.2% approval · 93 decisions

Ladgate

87.8% approval · 74 decisions

Trimdon

84.4% approval · 64 decisions

Park End/Beckfield

88.9% approval · 63 decisions

Berwick Hills/Pallister

81.8% approval · 55 decisions

Hemlington

84.4% approval · 45 decisions

North Ormesby

72.4% approval · 29 decisions

Recent comparable decisions

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

25/0391/COU

Change of use from 2 bed dwelling to 3 bed HMO · Newport · 2026-03-05

Refused

26/0010/FUL

Retrospective Single-Storey Rear Extension · Longlands/Beechwood · 2026-03-05

Approved

25/0598/FUL

Single storey extension to rear · Linthorpe · 2026-03-03

Approved

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

What gets approved near your property?

In Middlesbrough, 1 in 6 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 Middlesbrough
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect

Get Middlesbrough Pro Report — £79

Less than one set of revised drawings. Based on 3,412 decisions.

Compare with nearby councils

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