South Lanarkshire Council approves 96.9% of planning applications, based on 25,858 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.0%. South Lanarkshire sits 8.9 percentage points above the national average.
Enter your postcode for a free, personalised approval pattern report — based on your ward and application type.
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 | 25,046 | 812 | 25,858 | 96.9% |
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 | 2,593 | 134 | 2,727 | 95.1% |
| Clydesdale East | 2,504 | 85 | 2,589 | 96.7% |
| Bothwell And Uddingston | 1,886 | 44 | 1,930 | 97.7% |
| Clydesdale North | 1,848 | 76 | 1,924 | 96.0% |
| Hamilton North And East | 1,698 | 39 | 1,737 | 97.8% |
| Clydesdale South | 1,555 | 61 | 1,616 | 96.2% |
| East Kilbride West | 1,549 | 56 | 1,605 | 96.5% |
| Larkhall | 1,464 | 37 | 1,501 | 97.5% |
| Clydesdale West | 1,430 | 61 | 1,491 | 95.9% |
| Cambuslang West | 1,100 | 26 | 1,126 | 97.7% |
| Cambuslang East | 1,019 | 24 | 1,043 | 97.7% |
| Hamilton West And Earnock | 932 | 19 | 951 | 98.0% |
| Hamilton South | 893 | 16 | 909 | 98.2% |
| East Kilbride Central North | 867 | 28 | 895 | 96.9% |
| Rutherglen Central And North | 807 | 30 | 837 | 96.4% |
| Blantyre | 728 | 14 | 742 | 98.1% |
| Rutherglen South | 710 | 22 | 732 | 97.0% |
| East Kilbride South | 535 | 12 | 547 | 97.8% |
| East Kilbride East | 472 | 13 | 485 | 97.3% |
| East Kilbride Central South | 454 | 15 | 469 | 96.8% |
How South Lanarkshire’s planning approval rate has changed year by year — down 4.8pp 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/26/0183 East Kilbride South | Formation of window and internal alterations to dwellinghouse (Certificate of La | Approved |
| P/26/0143 Larkhall | Erection of single storey ancillary outbuilding in residential curtilage (Certif | Approved |
| P/26/0008/V Rutherglen South | Variation of height and roof type of single-storey rear extension and alteration | Approved |
| P/26/0126 Cambuslang West | Formation of side dormer window | Approved |
| P/26/0006/V East Kilbride West | Minor variation to house type 3 incorporating internal layout and fenestration c | Approved |
| P/26/0127 East Kilbride Central South | Erection of first-floor front extension with associated alterations and single-s | Approved |
| P/26/0004/V East Kilbride Central South | Minor variation to block (reduction in overall dimensions), removal of roof gard | Approved |
| P/25/1290 Larkhall | Change use of public space to private garden ground | Approved |
| P/26/0032 East Kilbride Central North | Use of osteopathic surgery as a house (Class 9) | Approved |
| P/26/0059 Bothwell And Uddingston | Erection of single-storey extension to the front of existing garage | 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 25,858 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 25,858 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 25,858 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in South Lanarkshire is 96.9%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.0%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 25,858 planning decisions from South Lanarkshire council. 25,046 were approved and 812 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in South Lanarkshire is 96.9%, 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.