Which ward in Wakefield has the highest planning approval rate?

Airedale And Ferry Fryston at 94.2% based on 274 decisions.

Which ward in Wakefield has the lowest planning approval rate?

Ackworth, North Elmsall And Upton at 86.4% based on 861 decisions.

How much do planning approval rates vary across Wakefield?

There is a 7.8% 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 7.8% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

13,123 real decisions·21 wards·Updated June 2026

89.7% approved overall. But 1,350 applications refused since 2020. Where you live in Wakefield shifts your odds by up to 7.8%. 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	274	258	16	94.2%
2	Castleford Central And Glasshoughton	581	545	36	93.8%
3	Altofts And Whitwood	505	471	34	93.3%
4	Stanley And Outwood East	621	571	50	91.9%
5	Knottingley	310	285	25	91.9%
6	South Elmsall And South Kirkby	437	398	39	91.1%
7	Wrenthorpe And Outwood West	723	659	64	91.1%
8	Hemsworth	401	364	37	90.8%
9	Ossett	699	634	65	90.7%
10	Normanton	470	426	44	90.6%
11	Wakefield North	968	874	94	90.3%
12	Featherstone	413	371	42	89.8%
13	Pontefract North	724	650	74	89.8%
14	Wakefield East	545	486	59	89.2%
15	Horbury And South Ossett	697	619	78	88.8%
16	Wakefield West	483	429	54	88.8%
17	Pontefract South	590	521	69	88.3%
18	Wakefield South	903	795	108	88.0%
19	Wakefield Rural	1,175	1,030	145	87.7%
20	Crofton, Ryhill And Walton	730	633	97	86.7%
21	Ackworth, North Elmsall And Upton	861	744	117	86.4%

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 7.8% gap separates the best and worst wards. Airedale And Ferry Fryston approves 94.2% of applications while Ackworth, North Elmsall And Upton approves just 86.4%. 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

1,350 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 13,123 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 →