North Yorkshire planning approval rate
North Yorkshire council approved 88.9% of planning applications and refused 11.1%, based on 3,789 decisions analysed. Ranked 102nd out of 300 councils for strictness.
Last updated: August 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to August 2026
88.9%
overall approval rate
3,789
Decisions analysed
3,369
Approved
420
Refused
47
Wards covered
Planning in North Yorkshire? 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 North Yorkshire. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.
90.3%
90.7%
91.1%
84.2%
84.7%
74.8%
81.7%
92.3%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in North Yorkshire, mined from 3,789 proposal descriptions.
92.1%
93.3%
90.1%
94.9%
88.9%
84.1%
95.5%
92.3%
90.7%
95.0%
95.7%
95.2%
84.6%
100.0%
78.6%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within North Yorkshire. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
Washburn & Birstwith
81.7%
Masham & Fountains
90.6%
Wathvale & Bishop Monkton
91.0%
Spofforth,L Whdl,Tockwith
91.6%
Stray, Woodlands & Hookstone
94.5%
Valley Gardens & Central Harrogate
88.9%
Ouseburn
93.4%
Coppice Valley & Duchy
95.4%
Pateley Bridge & Nidderdale
87.2%
Boroughbridge & Claro
90.1%
Knaresborough West
92.0%
Oatlands & Pannal
88.1%
Harlow & St. Georges
95.7%
Aire Valley
91.4%
Skipton North & Embsay-with-Eastby
88.2%
Whitby Streonshalh
81.8%
Bentham & Ingleton
86.9%
Ripon Ure Bank & Spa
89.3%
Weaponness & Ramshill
90.3%
Settle & Penyghent
89.9%
Wards in North Yorkshire
Washburn & Birstwith
81.7% approval · 186 decisions
Masham & Fountains
90.6% approval · 180 decisions
Wathvale & Bishop Monkton
91.0% approval · 166 decisions
Spofforth,L Whdl,Tockwith
91.6% approval · 166 decisions
Stray, Woodlands & Hookstone
94.5% approval · 164 decisions
Valley Gardens & Central Harrogate
88.9% approval · 162 decisions
Ouseburn
93.4% approval · 152 decisions
Coppice Valley & Duchy
95.4% approval · 152 decisions
Pateley Bridge & Nidderdale
87.2% approval · 133 decisions
Boroughbridge & Claro
90.1% approval · 131 decisions
Knaresborough West
92.0% approval · 125 decisions
Oatlands & Pannal
88.1% approval · 118 decisions
Harlow & St. Georges
95.7% approval · 117 decisions
Aire Valley
91.4% approval · 116 decisions
Skipton North & Embsay-with-Eastby
88.2% approval · 110 decisions
Whitby Streonshalh
81.8% approval · 110 decisions
Bentham & Ingleton
86.9% approval · 107 decisions
Ripon Ure Bank & Spa
89.3% approval · 103 decisions
Weaponness & Ramshill
90.3% approval · 93 decisions
Settle & Penyghent
89.9% approval · 89 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in North Yorkshire, showing how the council decides real applications.
Providing a roof to an existing collecting yard. · Washburn & Birstwith · Wed 05 Aug 2026
Erection of agricultural livestock building · Derwent Valley & Moor · Wed 05 Aug 2026
Proposed erection of a canopy and associated external works. · Stray, Woodlands & Hookstone · Wed 05 Aug 2026
Showing 3 recent comparable decisions. See more in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In North Yorkshire, 1 in 9 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 North Yorkshire
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for North Yorkshire →
✓ Common refusal reasons in North Yorkshire
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free. Based on 3,789 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in North Yorkshire
What is the planning approval rate in North Yorkshire?
Based on 3,789 planning decisions analysed since 2020, North Yorkshire approved 88.9% of applications and refused 11.1%. The council is ranked 102nd out of 300 UK councils for approval rate.
How many planning applications are refused in North Yorkshire?
North Yorkshire refuses 11.1% of planning applications, roughly 1 in 9. That is close to the UK average of 11.4%. Out of 3,789 decided applications since 2020, 420 were refused. PlanningLens lets you check any postcode to see which applications were refused near a specific property.
Which areas of North Yorkshire have the highest planning approval rates?
The highest approval rates in North Yorkshire are in Harlow & St. Georges (95.7%), Coppice Valley & Duchy (95.4%), and Stray, Woodlands & Hookstone (94.5%). Approval rates vary significantly by ward, see the full ward breakdown above.
What types of planning application are most common in North Yorkshire?
The most common planning application types in North Yorkshire are: Full (1,816 decisions, 90.3% approved), Trees (911, 90.7%), and Discharge of Conditions (259, 91.1%).
How long does a planning application take in North Yorkshire?
Planning applications in North Yorkshire take an average of 9.4 weeks to reach a decision, measured across 3,769 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. North Yorkshire decides approximately 632 planning applications per year.
How do I check planning applications in North Yorkshire?
You can search planning applications in North Yorkshire directly on the council's official planning portal. PlanningLens also lets you check any postcode against 3,789 historical decisions in North Yorkshire to see what's been approved and refused near a specific property.
How is PlanningLens approval rate data for North Yorkshire calculated?
PlanningLens scrapes North Yorkshire'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.