Which ward in South Lanarkshire has the highest planning approval rate?

19 Hamilton South at 98.2% based on 909 decisions.

Which ward in South Lanarkshire has the lowest planning approval rate?

05 Avondale And Stonehouse at 95.1% based on 2,727 decisions.

How much do planning approval rates vary across South Lanarkshire?

There is a 3.1% gap between 19 Hamilton South and 05 Avondale And Stonehouse. Your postcode significantly affects outcomes.

Planning Approval Rates by Ward in South Lanarkshire

Planning outcomes in South Lanarkshire are highly localised. The gap between the most and least permissive wards is 3.1% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

25,858 real decisions·20 wards·Updated March 2026

96.9% approved overall. But 812 applications refused since 2020. Where you live in South Lanarkshire shifts your odds by up to 3.1%. The council average doesn't tell you which side of that gap you're on.

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All 20 wards ranked

#	Ward	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	19 Hamilton South	909	893	16	98.2%
2	15 Blantyre	742	728	14	98.1%
3	18 Hamilton West And Earnock	951	932	19	98.0%
4	17 Hamilton North And East	1,737	1,698	39	97.8%
5	06 East Kilbride South	547	535	12	97.8%
6	13 Cambuslang West	1,126	1,100	26	97.7%
7	16 Bothwell And Uddingston	1,930	1,886	44	97.7%
8	14 Cambuslang East	1,043	1,019	24	97.7%
9	20 Larkhall	1,501	1,464	37	97.5%
10	10 East Kilbride East	485	472	13	97.3%
11	11 Rutherglen South	732	710	22	97.0%
12	08 East Kilbride Central North	895	867	28	96.9%
13	07 East Kilbride Central South	469	454	15	96.8%
14	03 Clydesdale East	2,589	2,504	85	96.7%
15	09 East Kilbride West	1,605	1,549	56	96.5%
16	12 Rutherglen Central And North	837	807	30	96.4%
17	04 Clydesdale South	1,616	1,555	61	96.2%
18	02 Clydesdale North	1,924	1,848	76	96.0%
19	01 Clydesdale West	1,491	1,430	61	95.9%
20	05 Avondale And Stonehouse	2,727	2,593	134	95.1%

See how this applies to your postcode →

These are council averages. Your property is specific.

An extension might sail through in 19 Hamilton South but face serious resistance in 05 Avondale And Stonehouse.
Check your postcode to see what actually happens near your address.

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What the data tells us

A 3.1% gap separates the best and worst wards. 19 Hamilton South approves 98.2% of applications while 05 Avondale And Stonehouse approves just 95.1%. 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

812 planning applications in South Lanarkshire have been refused since 2020. Many of those homeowners had already paid for drawings and application fees. A £79 report shows you what gets approved — and what gets refused — near your property.

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More South Lanarkshire planning data

Methodology: Covers 25,858 planning decisions in South Lanarkshire, January 2020 to present. Approval rate = approved / (approved + refused). Pending, withdrawn and invalid excluded. Ward boundaries reflect current electoral divisions. Data from South Lanarkshire Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →