Which ward in Wakefield has the highest planning approval rate?

Airedale And Ferry Fryston at 93.9% based on 262 decisions.

Which ward in Wakefield has the lowest planning approval rate?

Crofton, Ryhill And Walton at 86.3% based on 694 decisions.

How much do planning approval rates vary across Wakefield?

There is a 7.6% gap between Airedale And Ferry Fryston and Crofton, Ryhill And Walton. Your postcode significantly affects outcomes.

Planning Approval Rates by Ward in Wakefield

Planning outcomes in Wakefield are highly localised. The gap between the most and least permissive wards is 7.6% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

12,601 real decisions·21 wards·Updated March 2026

89.7% approved overall. But 1,292 applications refused since 2020. Where you live in Wakefield shifts your odds by up to 7.6%. The council average doesn't tell you which side of that gap you're on.

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All 21 wards ranked

#	Ward	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	Airedale And Ferry Fryston	262	246	16	93.9%
2	Castleford Central And Glasshoughton	552	518	34	93.8%
3	Altofts And Whitwood	493	460	33	93.3%
4	Stanley And Outwood East	613	563	50	91.8%
5	Knottingley	296	271	25	91.6%
6	South Elmsall And South Kirkby	418	381	37	91.1%
7	Wrenthorpe And Outwood West	690	627	63	90.9%
8	Ossett	677	615	62	90.8%
9	Hemsworth	387	351	36	90.7%
10	Wakefield North	935	846	89	90.5%
11	Normanton	443	400	43	90.3%
12	Pontefract North	704	632	72	89.8%
13	Featherstone	395	354	41	89.6%
14	Wakefield West	461	412	49	89.4%
15	Wakefield East	526	469	57	89.2%
16	Horbury And South Ossett	675	598	77	88.6%
17	Pontefract South	563	499	64	88.6%
18	Wakefield South	864	765	99	88.5%
19	Wakefield Rural	1,123	986	137	87.8%
20	Ackworth, North Elmsall And Upton	817	707	110	86.5%
21	Crofton, Ryhill And Walton	694	599	95	86.3%

See how this applies to your postcode →

These are council averages. Your property is specific.

An extension might sail through in Airedale And Ferry Fryston but face serious resistance in Crofton, Ryhill And Walton.
Check your postcode to see what actually happens near your address.

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What the data tells us

A 7.6% gap separates the best and worst wards. Airedale And Ferry Fryston approves 93.9% of applications while Crofton, Ryhill And Walton approves just 86.3%. 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

1,292 planning applications in Wakefield 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.

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More Wakefield planning data

Nearby councils ward breakdowns

Methodology: Covers 12,601 planning decisions in Wakefield, January 2020 to present. Approval rate = approved / (approved + refused). Pending, withdrawn and invalid excluded. Ward boundaries reflect current electoral divisions. Data from Wakefield Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →