Which ward in Tower Hamlets has the highest planning approval rate?

LIMEHOUSE at 100.0% based on 215 decisions.

Which ward in Tower Hamlets has the lowest planning approval rate?

St Dunstans at 75.9% based on 419 decisions.

How much do planning approval rates vary across Tower Hamlets?

There is a 24.1% gap between LIMEHOUSE and St Dunstans. Your postcode significantly affects outcomes.

Planning Approval Rates by Ward in Tower Hamlets

Planning outcomes in Tower Hamlets are highly localised. The gap between the most and least permissive wards is 24.1% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

26,296 real decisions·39 wards·Updated March 2026

All 39 wards ranked

#	Ward	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	LIMEHOUSE	215	215	0	100.0%
2	EAST INDIA AND LANSBURY	194	193	1	99.5%
3	BROMLEY-BY-BOW	170	169	1	99.4%
4	MILLWALL	300	298	2	99.3%
5	SPITALFIELDS AND BANGLATOWN	401	398	3	99.3%
6	BETHNAL GREEN SOUTH	244	242	2	99.2%
7	WEAVERS	343	340	3	99.1%
8	MILE END AND GLOBE TOWN	159	157	2	98.7%
9	WHITECHAPEL	568	559	9	98.4%
10	ST. DUNSTAN'S AND STEPNEY GREEN	189	186	3	98.4%
11	MILE END EAST	182	179	3	98.4%
12	SHADWELL	241	237	4	98.3%
13	BLACKWALL AND CUBITT TOWN	290	284	6	97.9%
14	ST. KATHARINE'S AND WAPPING	227	222	5	97.8%
15	BOW EAST	225	220	5	97.8%
16	BOW WEST	215	209	6	97.2%
17	BETHNAL GREEN NORTH	277	269	8	97.1%
18	Canary Wharf	1,129	1,054	75	93.4%
19	Bromley South	245	225	20	91.8%
20	St Katharines and Wapping	913	837	76	91.7%
21	Poplar	422	383	39	90.8%
22	Bow East	1,113	995	118	89.4%
23	Lansbury	716	640	76	89.4%
24	Bethnal Green East	476	424	52	89.1%
25	Blackwall and Cubitt Town	930	824	106	88.6%
26	Bow West	1,371	1,203	168	87.7%
27	Whitechapel	1,608	1,403	205	87.3%
28	Bromley North	354	309	45	87.3%
29	Spitalfields and Banglatown	1,327	1,150	177	86.7%
30	Bethnal Green	378	326	52	86.2%
31	Limehouse	233	199	34	85.4%
32	Mile End	632	536	96	84.8%
33	Bethnal Green West	405	343	62	84.7%
34	Shadwell	359	303	56	84.4%
35	Weavers	747	627	120	83.9%
36	St Peters	373	306	67	82.0%
37	Stepney Green	417	337	80	80.8%
38	Island Gardens	426	336	90	78.9%
39	St Dunstans	419	318	101	75.9%

See how this applies to your postcode →

What the data tells us

A 24.1% gap separates the best and worst wards. LIMEHOUSE approves 100.0% of applications while St Dunstans approves just 75.9%. 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

2,890 planning applications in Tower Hamlets 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.

Check My Postcode First

Free instant check · Pro Report £79 · Based on 2,500,000+ real decisions

More Tower Hamlets planning data

Nearby councils ward breakdowns

Methodology: Covers 26,296 planning decisions in Tower Hamlets, January 2020 to present. Approval rate = approved / (approved + refused). Pending, withdrawn and invalid excluded. Ward boundaries reflect current electoral divisions. Data from Tower Hamlets Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →