South Lanarkshire Council approves 96.8% of planning applications, based on 26,166 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.3%. South Lanarkshire sits 8.5 percentage points above the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 941 decided applications, South Lanarkshire Council approved 93.5% of planning applications in 2025. Across 26,166 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 88.3%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of South Lanarkshire council planning portal records · Updated June 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 | 25,094 | 827 | 25,921 | 96.8% |
| Full | 139 | 6 | 145 | 95.9% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 30 | 0 | 30 | 100.0% |
| Advertisement | 19 | 0 | 19 | 100.0% |
| Prior Approval | 17 | 1 | 18 | 94.4% |
| Listed Building | 17 | 0 | 17 | 100.0% |
| Trees | 14 | 0 | 14 | 100.0% |
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 | 2,623 | 142 | 2,765 | 94.9% |
| Clydesdale East | 2,530 | 86 | 2,616 | 96.7% |
| Bothwell And Uddingston | 1,909 | 44 | 1,953 | 97.7% |
| Clydesdale North | 1,867 | 76 | 1,943 | 96.1% |
| Hamilton North And East | 1,724 | 39 | 1,763 | 97.8% |
| Clydesdale South | 1,572 | 63 | 1,635 | 96.1% |
| East Kilbride West | 1,565 | 56 | 1,621 | 96.5% |
| Larkhall | 1,476 | 37 | 1,513 | 97.6% |
| Clydesdale West | 1,444 | 62 | 1,506 | 95.9% |
| Cambuslang West | 1,106 | 27 | 1,133 | 97.6% |
| Cambuslang East | 1,027 | 24 | 1,051 | 97.7% |
| Hamilton West And Earnock | 946 | 19 | 965 | 98.0% |
| Hamilton South | 901 | 16 | 917 | 98.3% |
| East Kilbride Central North | 881 | 30 | 911 | 96.7% |
| Rutherglen Central And North | 822 | 32 | 854 | 96.3% |
| Blantyre | 736 | 14 | 750 | 98.1% |
| Rutherglen South | 723 | 25 | 748 | 96.7% |
| East Kilbride South | 539 | 12 | 551 | 97.8% |
| East Kilbride East | 481 | 15 | 496 | 97.0% |
| East Kilbride Central South | 458 | 15 | 473 | 96.8% |
How South Lanarkshire’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, down 4.9pp 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/26/0576 Clydesdale North | Erection of single storey side extension | Approved |
| P/26/0575 Cambuslang West | Erection of single-storey side extension | Approved |
| P/26/0518 Rutherglen Central And North | Erection of porch on front elevation | Approved |
| P/26/0325 Clydesdale South | Erection of dwellinghouse and associated works | Refused |
| P/26/0399 Clydesdale South | Installation of photovoltaic panels and associated equipment on roof of existing | Approved |
| P/26/0135 Hamilton North And East | Removal of sections of the front boundary wall to create two new openings (Conse | Approved |
| P/26/0032/V Bothwell And Uddingston | NMV to the side extension, including an increase in the footprint of the extensi | Approved |
| P/26/0029/V Clydesdale West | Minor alterations to design of portocabin including windows | Approved |
| P/26/0026/V Hamilton North And East | Minor alterations to approved residential development including the replacement | Approved |
| P/26/0567 Avondale And Stonehouse | Erection of single-storey rear extension to dwellinghouse and erection of a sing | 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 26,166 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 26,166 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 26,166 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in South Lanarkshire is 96.8%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.3%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 26,166 planning decisions from South Lanarkshire council. 25,332 were approved and 834 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.