North Yorkshire Council approves 88.9% of planning applications, based on 3,833 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. North Yorkshire is closely in line with the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 1,817 decided applications, North Yorkshire Council approved 89.3% of planning applications in 2025. Across 3,833 decisions analysed since January 2020, the overall approval rate in North Yorkshire is 88.9%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of North Yorkshire council planning portal records · Updated August 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 North Yorkshire.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | 1,659 | 181 | 1,840 | 90.2% |
| Trees | 830 | 86 | 916 | 90.6% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 240 | 23 | 263 | 91.3% |
| Prior Approval | 206 | 38 | 244 | 84.4% |
| Listed Building | 187 | 34 | 221 | 84.6% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 130 | 22 | 152 | 85.5% |
| Other | 85 | 28 | 113 | 75.2% |
| Advertisement | 58 | 13 | 71 | 81.7% |
| Change of Use | 12 | 1 | 13 | 92.3% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washburn & Birstwith | 153 | 34 | 187 | 81.8% |
| Masham & Fountains | 164 | 17 | 181 | 90.6% |
| Spofforth,L Whdl,Tockwith | 154 | 14 | 168 | 91.7% |
| Wathvale & Bishop Monkton | 151 | 15 | 166 | 91.0% |
| Stray, Woodlands & Hookstone | 155 | 9 | 164 | 94.5% |
| Valley Gardens & Central Harrogate | 145 | 18 | 163 | 89.0% |
| Coppice Valley & Duchy | 147 | 7 | 154 | 95.5% |
| Ouseburn | 143 | 10 | 153 | 93.5% |
| Pateley Bridge & Nidderdale | 118 | 17 | 135 | 87.4% |
| Boroughbridge & Claro | 120 | 13 | 133 | 90.2% |
| Knaresborough West | 115 | 10 | 125 | 92.0% |
| Oatlands & Pannal | 104 | 14 | 118 | 88.1% |
| Harlow & St. Georges | 112 | 5 | 117 | 95.7% |
| Aire Valley | 106 | 10 | 116 | 91.4% |
| Whitby Streonshalh | 91 | 21 | 112 | 81.2% |
| Skipton North & Embsay-with-Eastby | 97 | 13 | 110 | 88.2% |
| Bentham & Ingleton | 94 | 14 | 108 | 87.0% |
| Ripon Ure Bank & Spa | 92 | 11 | 103 | 89.3% |
| Weaponness & Ramshill | 84 | 9 | 93 | 90.3% |
| Settle & Penyghent | 82 | 9 | 91 | 90.1% |
| Skipton West & West Craven | 77 | 11 | 88 | 87.5% |
| Mid Craven | 76 | 10 | 86 | 88.4% |
| Castle | 58 | 19 | 77 | 75.3% |
| Scalby & the Coast | 59 | 9 | 68 | 86.8% |
| Glusburn, Cross Hills & Sutton-in-Craven | 63 | 4 | 67 | 94.0% |
Showing top 25 of 48 wards by volume. Your free property report includes the full ward breakdown.
See full ward breakdown →How North Yorkshire’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, down 0.8pp since 2025.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from North Yorkshire council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| 26/03545/PNX Selby West | House extension notification for a single storey rear extension extending 6m to | Approved |
| 26/03082/FUL Bilton Grange & New Park | Single storey side extension to form kitchen. | Approved |
| 26/03059/FUL Filey | Erection of a single-storey rear conservatory | Approved |
| 26/03014/FUL Stokesley | Proposed extension to rear of house and first floor extensions. Widening of driv | Approved |
| 26/02910/FUL Settle & Penyghent | Full planning permission to replace existing shopfront including replacement/ref | Approved |
| SELZG2026/0468/HPA Osgoldcross | Installation of new vehicular access and new driveway | Approved |
| HAMZB26/00877/FUL Hillside & Raskelf | Application for the installation of Two new window openings in existing stone wa | Refused |
| HAMZB26/00878/LBC Hillside & Raskelf | Listed Building consent for Two new window openings in existing stone wall on th | Refused |
| 26/00451/LB Bentham & Ingleton | Listed Building Consent for the replacement of the existing roof. | Approved |
| SELZG2025/1185/FULM Sherburn in Elmet | Change of use of land from E(g) to E(d), and erection of a structure (using stee | 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 North Yorkshire's 3,833 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare North Yorkshire's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
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Dig deeper into North Yorkshire'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 North Yorkshire. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 3,833 real decisions from North Yorkshire 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 North Yorkshire'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 3,833 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in North Yorkshire is 88.9%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 3,833 planning decisions from North Yorkshire council. 3,407 were approved and 426 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in North Yorkshire is 88.9%, 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 North Yorkshire? 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.