Tower Hamlets planning approval rate

Tower Hamlets council approved 89.0% of planning applications and refused 11.0%, based on 26,296 decisions analysed. Ranked 86th out of 221 councils for strictness.

Last updated: March 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to present

89.0%

overall approval rate

26,296

Decisions analysed

23,406

Approved

2,890

Refused

Wards covered

Planning in Tower Hamlets? Check your postcode to see approval rates specific to your ward and street.

Approval rate by application type

Different application types have different approval rates in Tower Hamlets. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.

Other (16,215 decided)

90.1%

Full (4,731 decided)

79.1%

Discharge of Conditions (3,070 decided)

97.2%

Listed Building (830 decided)

88.2%

Trees (775 decided)

98.6%

Advertisement (517 decided)

82.0%

Prior Approval (158 decided)

91.1%

Approval rate by project type

These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Tower Hamlets — mined from 26,296 proposal descriptions.

Change of Use (Residential) (2,189 decided)

79.8%

Rear Extension (1,827 decided)

80.5%

Basement (1,739 decided)

87.3%

Garage / Parking (1,659 decided)

91.3%

Loft Conversion (1,264 decided)

74.8%

Extension (General) (1,161 decided)

84.3%

New Build (831 decided)

90.6%

Dormer (504 decided)

78.0%

Side Extension (406 decided)

83.0%

Flat Conversion (392 decided)

83.7%

Outbuilding (380 decided)

82.6%

HMO (226 decided)

50.9%

Conservatory (122 decided)

88.5%

Front Extension (73 decided)

75.3%

Wraparound Extension (66 decided)

81.8%

Annex (25 decided)

76.0%

Approval rate by ward

Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Tower Hamlets. Click any ward for detailed statistics.

Whitechapel (1,608 decided)

87.3%

Bow West (1,371 decided)

87.7%

Spitalfields and Banglatown (1,327 decided)

86.7%

Canary Wharf (1,129 decided)

93.4%

Bow East (1,113 decided)

89.4%

Blackwall and Cubitt Town (930 decided)

88.6%

St Katharines and Wapping (913 decided)

91.7%

Weavers (747 decided)

83.9%

Lansbury (716 decided)

89.4%

Mile End (632 decided)

84.8%

WHITECHAPEL (568 decided)

98.4%

Bethnal Green East (476 decided)

89.1%

Island Gardens (426 decided)

78.9%

Poplar (422 decided)

90.8%

St Dunstans (419 decided)

75.9%

Stepney Green (417 decided)

80.8%

Bethnal Green West (405 decided)

84.7%

SPITALFIELDS AND BANGLATOWN (401 decided)

99.3%

Bethnal Green (378 decided)

86.2%

St Peters (373 decided)

82.0%

Wards in Tower Hamlets

Whitechapel

87.3% approval · 1,608 decisions

Bow West

87.7% approval · 1,371 decisions

Spitalfields and Banglatown

86.7% approval · 1,327 decisions

Canary Wharf

93.4% approval · 1,129 decisions

Bow East

89.4% approval · 1,113 decisions

Blackwall and Cubitt Town

88.6% approval · 930 decisions

St Katharines and Wapping

91.7% approval · 913 decisions

Weavers

83.9% approval · 747 decisions

Lansbury

89.4% approval · 716 decisions

Mile End

84.8% approval · 632 decisions

WHITECHAPEL

98.4% approval · 568 decisions

Bethnal Green East

89.1% approval · 476 decisions

Island Gardens

78.9% approval · 426 decisions

Poplar

90.8% approval · 422 decisions

St Dunstans

75.9% approval · 419 decisions

Stepney Green

80.8% approval · 417 decisions

Bethnal Green West

84.7% approval · 405 decisions

SPITALFIELDS AND BANGLATOWN

99.3% approval · 401 decisions

Bethnal Green

86.2% approval · 378 decisions

St Peters

82.0% approval · 373 decisions

Recent comparable decisions

The most recent residential planning decisions in Tower Hamlets, showing how the council decides real applications.

PA/26/00059/NC

Demolition of existing rear outrigger and construction of a single storey rear a · Bow West · 09/03/2026

Approved

PA/25/00867/NC

Proposed basement, side extension, windows replacement, internal changes, floor · Bethnal Green West · 06/03/2026

Approved

PA/25/00866/NC

Proposed basement, side extension, windows replacement, internal changes, floor · Bethnal Green West · 06/03/2026

Approved

Showing 3 of 200 comparable decisions. See all 200 in the Pro Report →

What gets approved near your property?

In Tower Hamlets, 1 in 9 applications are refused. Your PlanningLens Pro Report gives you 17 pages of intelligence specific to your property:

✓ Ward-level approval rates for your exact area
✓ Common refusal reasons in Tower Hamlets
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect

Get Tower Hamlets Pro Report — £79

Less than one set of revised drawings. Based on 26,296 decisions.

Compare with nearby councils

Newham Southwark Camden Greenwich

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