Newham planning approval rate
Newham council approved 84.8% of planning applications and refused 15.2%, based on 21,829 decisions analysed. Ranked 48th out of 300 councils for strictness.
Last updated: August 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to August 2026
84.8%
overall approval rate
21,829
Decisions analysed
18,515
Approved
3,314
Refused
48
Wards covered
Planning in Newham? 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 Newham. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.
86.3%
85.2%
67.8%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Newham, mined from 21,829 proposal descriptions.
78.6%
78.7%
78.5%
78.7%
87.1%
79.8%
80.9%
85.7%
77.0%
72.9%
88.6%
39.0%
87.4%
79.8%
61.4%
71.4%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Newham. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
FGSTH
80.1%
BECK
86.6%
FGNTH
79.9%
MPARK
76.8%
GSEAST
76.9%
BOLEYN
82.7%
GSWEST
77.4%
EHSTH
81.1%
CTNTH
86.3%
PSOUTH
77.9%
PNORTH
80.4%
ILFORD
76.7%
CTS
90.9%
WALL
76.6%
WHAM
80.3%
CH
81.2%
EHCENT
77.6%
EHAM
84.8%
STRFRD
88.1%
ROYALV
94.9%
Wards in Newham
FGSTH
80.1% approval · 1,535 decisions
BECK
86.6% approval · 1,028 decisions
FGNTH
79.9% approval · 935 decisions
MPARK
76.8% approval · 927 decisions
GSEAST
76.9% approval · 874 decisions
BOLEYN
82.7% approval · 852 decisions
GSWEST
77.4% approval · 814 decisions
EHSTH
81.1% approval · 804 decisions
CTNTH
86.3% approval · 715 decisions
PSOUTH
77.9% approval · 696 decisions
PNORTH
80.4% approval · 682 decisions
ILFORD
76.7% approval · 665 decisions
CTS
90.9% approval · 657 decisions
WALL
76.6% approval · 655 decisions
WHAM
80.3% approval · 634 decisions
CH
81.2% approval · 564 decisions
EHCENT
77.6% approval · 527 decisions
EHAM
84.8% approval · 466 decisions
STRFRD
88.1% approval · 462 decisions
ROYALV
94.9% approval · 433 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in Newham, showing how the council decides real applications.
None
Erection of ground floor rear extension and first floor rear extension with a fl · EHSTH · 03/08/2026
None
Erection of single storey ground floor rear and side extension · FGNTH · 03/08/2026
None
Approval of details pursuant to Condition C32 (Noise Insulation - Non Residentia · CTNTH · 31/07/2026
Showing 3 recent comparable decisions. See more in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In Newham, 1 in 7 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 Newham
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for Newham →
✓ Common refusal reasons in Newham
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free. Based on 21,829 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in Newham
What is the planning approval rate in Newham?
Based on 21,829 planning decisions analysed since 2020, Newham approved 84.8% of applications and refused 15.2%. The council is ranked 48th out of 300 UK councils for approval rate.
How many planning applications are refused in Newham?
Newham refuses 15.2% of planning applications, roughly 1 in 7. That is higher than the UK average of 11.4%. Out of 21,829 decided applications since 2020, 3,314 were refused. PlanningLens lets you check any postcode to see which applications were refused near a specific property.
Which areas of Newham have the highest planning approval rates?
The highest approval rates in Newham are in CANNING TOWN NORTH (99.6%), BECKTON (99.3%), and EAST HAM NORTH (99.3%). Approval rates vary significantly by ward, see the full ward breakdown above.
What types of planning application are most common in Newham?
The most common planning application types in Newham are: Other (16,612 decisions, 86.3% approved), Full (3,685, 85.2%), and Prior Approval (1,532, 67.8%).
How long does a planning application take in Newham?
Planning applications in Newham take an average of 9.9 weeks to reach a decision, measured across 18,647 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. Newham decides approximately 3,638 planning applications per year.
How do I check planning applications in Newham?
You can search planning applications in Newham directly on the council's official planning portal. PlanningLens also lets you check any postcode against 21,829 historical decisions in Newham to see what's been approved and refused near a specific property.
How is PlanningLens approval rate data for Newham calculated?
PlanningLens scrapes Newham'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.