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 86.6% based on 885 decisions.

How much do planning approval rates vary across Wakefield?

There is a 7.6% 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 7.6% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

10,038 real decisions·21 wards·Updated September 2026

92.0% approved overall. But 808 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	278	262	16	94.2%
2	Castleford Central And Glasshoughton	602	565	37	93.9%
3	Stanley And Outwood East	634	584	50	92.1%
4	Altofts And Whitwood	527	484	43	91.8%
5	Knottingley	323	295	28	91.3%
6	Hemsworth	414	377	37	91.1%
7	South Elmsall And South Kirkby	454	413	41	91.0%
8	Wrenthorpe And Outwood West	733	666	67	90.9%
9	Ossett	711	645	66	90.7%
10	Normanton	497	451	46	90.7%
11	Featherstone	429	387	42	90.2%
12	Wakefield North	1,006	905	101	90.0%
13	Pontefract North	736	661	75	89.8%
14	Wakefield East	565	504	61	89.2%
15	Wakefield West	494	439	55	88.9%
16	Horbury And South Ossett	715	634	81	88.7%
17	Wakefield South	936	827	109	88.4%
18	Pontefract South	604	533	71	88.2%
19	Wakefield Rural	1,220	1,068	152	87.5%
20	Crofton, Ryhill And Walton	750	651	99	86.8%
21	Ackworth, North Elmsall And Upton	885	766	119	86.6%

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 7.6% gap separates the best and worst wards. Airedale And Ferry Fryston approves 94.2% of applications while Ackworth, North Elmsall And Upton approves just 86.6%. 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

808 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 10,038 planning decisions in Wakefield, January 2020 to September 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 →