Which ward in Sheffield has the highest planning approval rate?

Fulwood at 95.6% based on 704 decisions.

Which ward in Sheffield has the lowest planning approval rate?

Burngreave at 81.0% based on 174 decisions.

How much do planning approval rates vary across Sheffield?

There is a 14.6% gap between Fulwood and Burngreave. Your postcode significantly affects outcomes.

Planning Approval Rates by Ward in Sheffield

Planning outcomes in Sheffield are highly localised. The gap between the most and least permissive wards is 14.6% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

7,218 real decisions·28 wards·Updated August 2026

All 28 wards ranked

#	Ward	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	Fulwood	704	673	31	95.6%
2	Woodhouse	134	127	7	94.8%
3	Manor Castle	143	135	8	94.4%
4	Walkley	151	142	9	94.0%
5	Broomhill And Sharrow Vale	659	618	41	93.8%
6	City	416	388	28	93.3%
7	Birley	103	96	7	93.2%
8	Nether Edge And Sharrow	754	702	52	93.1%
9	Beauchief & Greenhill	214	199	15	93.0%
10	Dore & Totley	596	544	52	91.3%
11	Southey	72	65	7	90.3%
12	Darnall	308	276	32	89.6%
13	Ecclesall	453	406	47	89.6%
14	East Ecclesfield	164	146	18	89.0%
15	Graves Park	230	204	26	88.7%
16	Crookes And Crosspool	261	231	30	88.5%
17	West Ecclesfield	181	160	21	88.4%
18	Park And Arbourthorne	94	83	11	88.3%
19	Firth Park	84	74	10	88.1%
20	Stocksbridge & Upper Don	255	223	32	87.5%
21	Hillsborough	214	187	27	87.4%
22	Richmond	97	84	13	86.6%
23	Shiregreen & Brightside	74	64	10	86.5%
24	Beighton	128	109	19	85.2%
25	Mosborough	161	136	25	84.5%
26	Stannington	293	246	47	84.0%
27	Gleadless Valley	97	80	17	82.5%
28	Burngreave	174	141	33	81.0%

See how this applies to your postcode →

These are council averages. Your property is specific.

An extension might sail through in Fulwood but face serious resistance in Burngreave.
Check your postcode to see what actually happens near your address.

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What the data tells us

A 14.6% gap separates the best and worst wards. Fulwood approves 95.6% of applications while Burngreave approves just 81.0%. That's a fundamentally different planning environment.

High volume doesn't mean high approval. Some of the busiest wards aren't the most permissive. The number of applications a ward processes tells you nothing about how likely yours is to succeed.

Ward averages are a starting point, not a guarantee. Your specific outcome depends on your property, your neighbours, your proposal type and the comparable decisions near your address.

Before you spend £5,000+ on architects and drawings

677 planning applications in Sheffield have been refused since 2020. Many of those homeowners had already paid for drawings and application fees. A free, property-specific report shows you what gets approved — and what gets refused — near your property.

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Free · Property report emailed in minutes · Based on 3,780,000+ real decisions

More Sheffield planning data

Nearby councils ward breakdowns

Methodology: Covers 7,218 planning decisions in Sheffield, January 2020 to August 2026. Approval rate = approved / (approved + refused). Pending, withdrawn and invalid excluded. Ward boundaries reflect current electoral divisions. Data from Sheffield Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →