Wakefield planning approval rate
Wakefield council approved 89.7% of planning applications and refused 10.3%, based on 12,601 decisions analysed. Ranked 94th out of 237 councils for strictness.
Last updated: May 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to present
89.7%
overall approval rate
Planning in Wakefield?
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 Wakefield. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Wakefield — mined from 12,601 proposal descriptions.
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Wakefield. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
Wakefield Rural (1,123 decided)
87.8%
Wakefield North (935 decided)
90.5%
Wakefield South (864 decided)
88.5%
Ackworth, North Elmsall And Upton (817 decided)
86.5%
Pontefract North (704 decided)
89.8%
Crofton, Ryhill And Walton (694 decided)
86.3%
Wrenthorpe And Outwood West (690 decided)
90.9%
Ossett (677 decided)
90.8%
Horbury And South Ossett (675 decided)
88.6%
Stanley And Outwood East (613 decided)
91.8%
Pontefract South (563 decided)
88.6%
Castleford Central And Glasshoughton (552 decided)
93.8%
Wakefield East (526 decided)
89.2%
Altofts And Whitwood (493 decided)
93.3%
Wakefield West (461 decided)
89.4%
Normanton (443 decided)
90.3%
South Elmsall And South Kirkby (418 decided)
91.1%
Featherstone (395 decided)
89.6%
Hemsworth (387 decided)
90.7%
Knottingley (296 decided)
91.6%
Wards in Wakefield
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in Wakefield, showing how the council decides real applications.
First floor extension to front and rear & partial garage conversion · Crofton, Ryhill And Walton · Thu 12 Mar 2026
Single storey front extension · Wakefield North · Wed 11 Mar 2026
Replacing existing conservatory with a single storey rear extension. · Normanton · Thu 05 Mar 2026
Showing 3 of 200 comparable decisions. See all 200 in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In Wakefield, 1 in 10 applications are refused. Your PlanningLens Full Planning Analysis gives you 17 pages of intelligence specific to your property:
✓ Ward-level approval rates for your exact area
✓ Common refusal reasons in Wakefield
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for Wakefield →
Free. Based on 12,601 decisions.
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