Tower Hamlets Council approves 85.1% of planning applications, based on 15,664 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. Tower Hamlets is closely in line with the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 1,823 decided applications, Tower Hamlets Council approved 85.9% of planning applications in 2025. The typical time from validation to decision in Tower Hamlets is 8.0 weeks, the median across 13,480 applications decided since January 2020. Across 15,664 decisions on record (January 1987 to September 2026), the overall approval rate in Tower Hamlets is 85.1%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Tower Hamlets council planning portal records · Data to 28 September 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 Tower Hamlets.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 21,023 | 2,454 | 23,477 | 89.5% |
| Full | 1,702 | 372 | 2,074 | 82.1% |
| Prior Approval | 243 | 42 | 285 | 85.3% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whitechapel | 1,972 | 209 | 2,181 | 90.4% |
| Bow West | 1,226 | 178 | 1,404 | 87.3% |
| Spitalfields and Banglatown | 1,161 | 171 | 1,332 | 87.2% |
| Canary Wharf | 1,110 | 71 | 1,181 | 94.0% |
| Weavers | 954 | 122 | 1,076 | 88.7% |
| Bow East | 840 | 107 | 947 | 88.7% |
| Blackwall and Cubitt Town | 845 | 97 | 942 | 89.7% |
| St Katharines and Wapping | 795 | 71 | 866 | 91.8% |
| Lansbury | 637 | 69 | 706 | 90.2% |
| Mile End | 528 | 98 | 626 | 84.3% |
| Shadwell | 541 | 63 | 604 | 89.6% |
| Bethnal Green East | 421 | 64 | 485 | 86.8% |
| Limehouse | 413 | 37 | 450 | 91.8% |
| Bethnal Green West | 365 | 64 | 429 | 85.1% |
| Poplar | 384 | 40 | 424 | 90.6% |
| Stepney Green | 335 | 88 | 423 | 79.2% |
| St Dunstans | 319 | 100 | 419 | 76.1% |
| Spitalfields And Banglatown | 398 | 3 | 401 | 99.3% |
| Island Gardens | 304 | 91 | 395 | 77.0% |
| Bethnal Green | 292 | 49 | 341 | 85.6% |
| St Peters | 279 | 56 | 335 | 83.3% |
| Millwall | 298 | 2 | 300 | 99.3% |
| Blackwall And Cubitt Town | 284 | 6 | 290 | 97.9% |
| Bethnal Green North | 269 | 8 | 277 | 97.1% |
| Bromley South | 250 | 19 | 269 | 92.9% |
Showing top 25 of 33 wards by volume. Your free property report includes the full ward breakdown.
See full ward breakdown →How Tower Hamlets’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, up 4.5pp since 2018.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from Tower Hamlets council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| PA/26/00357/NC Spitalfields and Banglatown | Retrospective installation of ventilation louvres to the front elevation and ins | Approved |
| PA/26/01196/NC St Dunstans | Replacement of existing white timber double-glazed casement windows with white u | Approved |
| PA/26/01325/A1 Mile End | 3 storey rear extension and roof alterations to form mansard roof. creation of 2 | Refused |
| PA/26/01344/NC Spitalfields and Banglatown | Internal subdivision over ground and basement levels including installation of n | Approved |
| PA/26/01343/NC Spitalfields and Banglatown | Internal subdivision over ground and basement levels including installation of n | Approved |
| PA/26/01163/NC Bow West | Proposed works for the conversion of an unused part of the school (adjacent to t | Approved |
| PA/26/01162/NC Bow West | Proposed works for the conversion of an unused part of the school (adjacent to t | Approved |
| PA/26/01257/NC Bow West | Replacement of the existing first floor timber sash windows with 2 x black timbe | Approved |
| PA/26/01326/A1 Whitechapel | Conversion of existing second-floor office accommodation (Use Class E) to form 1 | Refused |
| PA/26/01455/NC Mile End | Minor alterations to a three-storey dwellinghouse, including replacement fenestr | 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 Tower Hamlets's 15,664 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare Tower Hamlets's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
Dig deeper into Tower Hamlets'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 Tower Hamlets. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 15,664 real decisions from Tower Hamlets 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 Tower Hamlets'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 15,664 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Tower Hamlets is 85.1%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 15,664 planning decisions from Tower Hamlets council. 13,331 were approved and 2,333 were refused. These figures cover every decision on record for the council, January 1987 to September 2026.
The average approval rate in Tower Hamlets is 85.1%, 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.
The typical time from validation to decision in Tower Hamlets is 8.0 weeks, the median across 13,480 applications decided since January 2020. This PlanningLens figure is calculated from decision dates published by Tower Hamlets council itself, reflecting actual elapsed time rather than statutory targets.
Writing about planning in Tower Hamlets? 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.