Which ward in Sheffield has the highest planning approval rate?

Fulwood at 95.4% based on 679 decisions.

Which ward in Sheffield has the lowest planning approval rate?

Burngreave at 79.9% based on 149 decisions.

How much do planning approval rates vary across Sheffield?

There is a 15.5% 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 15.5% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

6,768 real decisions·28 wards·Updated June 2026

All 28 wards ranked

#	Ward	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	Fulwood	679	648	31	95.4%
2	Woodhouse	129	122	7	94.6%
3	Walkley	140	132	8	94.3%
4	Manor Castle	136	128	8	94.1%
5	City	375	352	23	93.9%
6	Broomhill And Sharrow Vale	623	583	40	93.6%
7	Birley	93	87	6	93.5%
8	Nether Edge And Sharrow	722	675	47	93.5%
9	Beauchief & Greenhill	206	191	15	92.7%
10	Dore & Totley	555	504	51	90.8%
11	Southey	69	62	7	89.9%
12	Darnall	288	258	30	89.6%
13	Ecclesall	422	378	44	89.6%
14	West Ecclesfield	164	146	18	89.0%
15	Crookes And Crosspool	255	225	30	88.2%
16	East Ecclesfield	153	135	18	88.2%
17	Graves Park	220	194	26	88.2%
18	Park And Arbourthorne	82	72	10	87.8%
19	Stocksbridge & Upper Don	236	206	30	87.3%
20	Hillsborough	199	173	26	86.9%
21	Firth Park	74	64	10	86.5%
22	Richmond	86	74	12	86.0%
23	Beighton	121	103	18	85.1%
24	Shiregreen & Brightside	67	57	10	85.1%
25	Mosborough	151	127	24	84.1%
26	Stannington	279	234	45	83.9%
27	Gleadless Valley	92	76	16	82.6%
28	Burngreave	149	119	30	79.9%

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 15.5% gap separates the best and worst wards. Fulwood approves 95.4% of applications while Burngreave approves just 79.9%. 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

641 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 3,290,000+ real decisions

More Sheffield planning data

Nearby councils ward breakdowns

Methodology: Covers 6,768 planning decisions in Sheffield, January 2020 to present. 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 →