Midlothian Council approves 95.7% of planning applications, based on 951 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.0%. Midlothian sits 7.7 percentage points above the national average.
Enter your postcode for a free, personalised approval pattern report — based on your ward and application type.
Not all applications are treated equally. Extension types, listed building consent, and change of use applications each have very different success rates in Midlothian.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 499 | 36 | 535 | 93.3% |
| Trees | 238 | 0 | 238 | 100.0% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 64 | 3 | 67 | 95.5% |
| Listed Building | 38 | 1 | 39 | 97.4% |
| Advertisement | 35 | 1 | 36 | 97.2% |
| Prior Approval | 29 | 0 | 29 | 100.0% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 7 | 0 | 7 | 100.0% |
A loft conversion in one ward can have a 90% approval rate. In the next ward, 55%. The free check tells you which side you're on — your free property report is emailed in minutes.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midlothian East | 242 | 5 | 247 | 98.0% |
| Midlothian West | 174 | 11 | 185 | 94.1% |
| Bonnyrigg | 156 | 7 | 163 | 95.7% |
| Dalkeith | 123 | 4 | 127 | 96.9% |
| Penicuik | 113 | 4 | 117 | 96.6% |
| Midlothian South | 101 | 10 | 111 | 91.0% |
How Midlothian’s planning approval rate has changed year by year — down 3.9pp since 2021.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from Midlothian council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| 26/00015/DPP Midlothian East | Extension to dwellinghouse | Approved |
| 25/00665/DPP Dalkeith | Erection of agricultural building | Approved |
| 25/00532/DPP Bonnyrigg | Erection of porch, extension and installation of window opening to flatted prope | Approved |
| 25/00685/LBC Dalkeith | Alterations to window and door openings and installation of replacement window a | Approved |
| 26/00012/DPP Midlothian West | Formation of driveway (retrospective) | Approved |
| 26/00013/DPP Midlothian West | Extension to building; erection of fencing and associated works | Approved |
| 26/00006/DPP Dalkeith | Erection of garage and porch | Approved |
| 25/00681/DPP Dalkeith | Formation of door opening | Approved |
| 25/00648/DPP Midlothian West | Change of use from a flatted dwelling to an HMO | Approved |
| 25/00662/DPP Midlothian West | Erection of extension and porch | Approved |
Find out what actually gets approved near your address first. Your free property report analyses the 20 nearest decisions to your property, ward-specific refusal patterns, and extension-by-extension approval patterns. Based on Midlothian's 951 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare Midlothian's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
Dig deeper into Midlothian'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 Midlothian. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 951 real decisions from Midlothian 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 Midlothian'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 951 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Midlothian is 95.7%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.0%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 951 planning decisions from Midlothian council. 910 were approved and 41 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in Midlothian is 95.7%, 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.