South Lanarkshire Council approves 96.8% of planning applications, based on 26,307 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 26,307 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 | 25,112 | 829 | 25,941 | 96.8% |
| Full | 220 | 8 | 228 | 96.5% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 48 | 0 | 48 | 100.0% |
| Listed Building | 24 | 0 | 24 | 100.0% |
| Advertisement | 24 | 0 | 24 | 100.0% |
| Prior Approval | 21 | 2 | 23 | 91.3% |
| Trees | 17 | 0 | 17 | 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 | 2,637 | 143 | 2,780 | 94.9% |
| Clydesdale East | 2,546 | 86 | 2,632 | 96.7% |
| Bothwell And Uddingston | 1,914 | 44 | 1,958 | 97.8% |
| Clydesdale North | 1,880 | 77 | 1,957 | 96.1% |
| Hamilton North And East | 1,734 | 39 | 1,773 | 97.8% |
| Clydesdale South | 1,578 | 63 | 1,641 | 96.2% |
| East Kilbride West | 1,578 | 57 | 1,635 | 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 | 825 | 33 | 858 | 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 4.1pp 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/26/0074 Clydesdale East | Erection of a drive-thru restaurant, additional caravan and car parking bays wit | Approved |
| P/26/0714 Hamilton North And East | Erection of four jet wash bays, plant room, two air and vacuum units, and associ | Approved |
| P/26/0560 Clydesdale East | Erection of dwellinghouse and associated works | Approved |
| P/26/0764 Avondale And Stonehouse | Demolition of existing extension and erection of replacement single-storey exten | Approved |
| P/26/0663 Clydesdale West | Erection of a single-storey side and rear extension with associated alterations | Approved |
| P/26/0540 Clydesdale East | Erection of single storey rear extension | Approved |
| P/26/0654 Clydesdale East | Erection of single storey rear extension to a dwellinghouse | Approved |
| P/26/0597 Rutherglen South | Erection of single-storey side extension and stairway with associated platform a | Approved |
| P/26/0515 East Kilbride West | Demolition of existing derelict dwelling and erection of two dwellinghouses and | Approved |
| P/26/0038/V Avondale And Stonehouse | Removal of mezzanine floor and reduction in scale and footprint of extension (no | 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 26,307 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 26,307 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 26,307 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 26,307 planning decisions from South Lanarkshire council. 25,468 were approved and 839 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.