South Lanarkshire Council approves 96.8% of planning applications, based on 26,323 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. South Lanarkshire sits 8.2 percentage points above the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 900 decided applications, South Lanarkshire Council approved 93.6% of planning applications in 2025. Across 26,323 decisions analysed since January 2020, the overall approval rate in South Lanarkshire is 96.8%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of South Lanarkshire council planning portal records · Updated August 2026 · Quote freely with attribution
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Not all applications are treated equally. Extension types, listed building consent, and change of use applications each have very different success rates in South Lanarkshire.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 25,117 | 829 | 25,946 | 96.8% |
| Full | 223 | 9 | 232 | 96.1% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 49 | 1 | 50 | 98.0% |
| Prior Approval | 23 | 2 | 25 | 92.0% |
| Listed Building | 24 | 0 | 24 | 100.0% |
| Advertisement | 24 | 0 | 24 | 100.0% |
| Trees | 17 | 0 | 17 | 100.0% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 4 | 1 | 5 | 80.0% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avondale And Stonehouse | 2,639 | 144 | 2,783 | 94.8% |
| Clydesdale East | 2,549 | 87 | 2,636 | 96.7% |
| Bothwell And Uddingston | 1,915 | 44 | 1,959 | 97.8% |
| Clydesdale North | 1,881 | 77 | 1,958 | 96.1% |
| Hamilton North And East | 1,735 | 39 | 1,774 | 97.8% |
| Clydesdale South | 1,580 | 64 | 1,644 | 96.1% |
| East Kilbride West | 1,579 | 57 | 1,636 | 96.5% |
| Larkhall | 1,479 | 37 | 1,516 | 97.6% |
| Clydesdale West | 1,453 | 62 | 1,515 | 95.9% |
| Cambuslang West | 1,111 | 28 | 1,139 | 97.5% |
| Cambuslang East | 1,033 | 24 | 1,057 | 97.7% |
| Hamilton West And Earnock | 948 | 19 | 967 | 98.0% |
| Hamilton South | 906 | 16 | 922 | 98.3% |
| East Kilbride Central North | 889 | 30 | 919 | 96.7% |
| Rutherglen Central And North | 827 | 33 | 860 | 96.2% |
| Rutherglen South | 731 | 25 | 756 | 96.7% |
| Blantyre | 737 | 14 | 751 | 98.1% |
| East Kilbride South | 540 | 12 | 552 | 97.8% |
| East Kilbride East | 487 | 15 | 502 | 97.0% |
| East Kilbride Central South | 460 | 15 | 475 | 96.8% |
How South Lanarkshire’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, down 4.4pp since 2018.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from South Lanarkshire council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| P/25/1414 Clydesdale East | Erection of two storey extension on rear of ancillary outbuilding and formation | Refused |
| P/26/0874 Clydesdale South | Alteration of existing forestry private road with associated works (prior notifi | Approved |
| P/26/0768 Clydesdale East | Erection of single storey side extension with association alterations | Approved |
| P/26/0377 Clydesdale East | Erection of builders merchants and storage shed alongwith associated parking and | Approved |
| P/26/0040/V Clydesdale East | Reduction in length of detached garage (Non material variation of Planning Permi | Approved |
| P/26/0589 Avondale And Stonehouse | Erection of vehicle garage for adjacent dwellinghouse and erection of timber fen | Approved |
| P/26/0583 Hamilton North And East | Erection of front porch and single-storey extension at rear and side of dwelling | Approved |
| P/26/0440 Bothwell And Uddingston | Extension to third floor over flat roof area | Approved |
| P/26/0407 Clydesdale South | Erection of 224 dwellings with associated infrastructure and landscaping (Applic | Refused |
| P/26/0124 Clydesdale South | Refurbishment and alterations to existing farmhouse, conversion and alterations | 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 South Lanarkshire's 26,323 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare South Lanarkshire's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
Dig deeper into South Lanarkshire'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 South Lanarkshire. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 26,323 real decisions from South Lanarkshire 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 South Lanarkshire'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 26,323 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in South Lanarkshire is 96.8%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 26,323 planning decisions from South Lanarkshire council. 25,481 were approved and 842 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in South Lanarkshire is 96.8%, 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 South Lanarkshire? 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.