Midlothian Council approves 92.6% of planning applications, based on 918 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. Midlothian sits 7.6 percentage points above the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 354 decided applications, Midlothian Council approved 91.8% of planning applications in 2025. Across 918 decisions on record (March 2021 to September 2026), the overall approval rate in Midlothian is 92.6%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Midlothian council planning portal records · Data to 23 September 2026 · Quote freely with attribution
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 | 802 | 68 | 870 | 92.2% |
| Trees | 263 | 0 | 263 | 100.0% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 95 | 9 | 104 | 91.3% |
| Listed Building | 87 | 4 | 91 | 95.6% |
| Advertisement | 52 | 2 | 54 | 96.3% |
| Prior Approval | 35 | 1 | 36 | 97.2% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 22 | 0 | 22 | 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 | 324 | 7 | 331 | 97.9% |
| Midlothian West | 294 | 20 | 314 | 93.6% |
| Bonnyrigg | 214 | 16 | 230 | 93.0% |
| Dalkeith | 202 | 13 | 215 | 94.0% |
| Penicuik | 166 | 8 | 174 | 95.4% |
| Midlothian South | 151 | 20 | 171 | 88.3% |
How Midlothian’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, down 5.6pp 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 26/00217/DPP Penicuik | Erection of 29 dwellinghouses, 17 flatted dwellings and associated works | Approved |
| 26/00373/DPP Midlothian East | Application for extension of timeframe in which to implement planning permission | Approved |
| 26/00392/DPP Dalkeith | Alteration to window opening to form door opening | Approved |
| 26/00391/DPP Midlothian South | Extension to dwellinghouse | Approved |
| 26/00384/LBC Dalkeith | Extension to dwellinghouse and internal alterations | Refused |
| 26/00068/DPP Midlothian South | Partial change of use from agricultural building to dwellinghouse (Class 9); for | Approved |
| 25/00682/DPP Midlothian East | Formation of pitched roof over existing flat roof extension | Approved |
| 26/00440/PNAG Midlothian East | Erection of agricultural building | Approved |
| 26/00381/DPP Bonnyrigg | Extension to dwellinghouse | Approved |
| 26/00166/DPP Midlothian West | Alterations to existing door opening and installation of replacement door | 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 918 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 918 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 918 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Midlothian is 92.6%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 918 planning decisions from Midlothian council. 850 were approved and 68 were refused. These figures cover every decision on record for the council, March 2021 to September 2026.
The average approval rate in Midlothian is 92.6%, 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 Midlothian? 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.