Which ward in Wakefield has the highest planning approval rate?

Airedale And Ferry Fryston at 94.2% based on 278 decisions.

Which ward in Wakefield has the lowest planning approval rate?

Ackworth, North Elmsall And Upton at 86.5% based on 875 decisions.

How much do planning approval rates vary across Wakefield?

There is a 7.7% gap between Airedale And Ferry Fryston and Ackworth, North Elmsall And Upton. 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 7.7% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

13,353 real decisions·21 wards·Updated August 2026

89.7% approved overall. But 1,374 applications refused since 2020. Where you live in Wakefield shifts your odds by up to 7.7%. 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	278	262	16	94.2%
2	Castleford Central And Glasshoughton	594	557	37	93.8%
3	Altofts And Whitwood	514	477	37	92.8%
4	Stanley And Outwood East	630	580	50	92.1%
5	Knottingley	315	290	25	92.1%
6	South Elmsall And South Kirkby	449	409	40	91.1%
7	Hemsworth	409	372	37	91.0%
8	Wrenthorpe And Outwood West	729	663	66	90.9%
9	Ossett	706	641	65	90.8%
10	Normanton	486	441	45	90.7%
11	Wakefield North	989	893	96	90.3%
12	Featherstone	424	382	42	90.1%
13	Pontefract North	733	658	75	89.8%
14	Wakefield East	554	493	61	89.0%
15	Wakefield West	493	438	55	88.8%
16	Horbury And South Ossett	706	626	80	88.7%
17	Wakefield South	919	810	109	88.1%
18	Pontefract South	595	524	71	88.1%
19	Wakefield Rural	1,198	1,050	148	87.6%
20	Crofton, Ryhill And Walton	743	645	98	86.8%
21	Ackworth, North Elmsall And Upton	875	757	118	86.5%

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 Ackworth, North Elmsall And Upton.
Check your postcode to see what actually happens near your address.

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What the data tells us

A 7.7% gap separates the best and worst wards. Airedale And Ferry Fryston approves 94.2% of applications while Ackworth, North Elmsall And Upton approves just 86.5%. 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

1,374 planning applications in Wakefield have been refused since 2020. Many of those homeowners had already paid for drawings and application fees. A free, property-specific 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 13,353 planning decisions in Wakefield, January 2020 to August 2026. 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 →