Wakefield Council approves 89.7% of planning applications, based on 13,310 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. Wakefield sits 1.1 percentage points above the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 1,506 decided applications, Wakefield Council approved 89.1% of planning applications in 2025. Across 13,310 decisions analysed since January 2020, the overall approval rate in Wakefield is 89.7%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Wakefield council planning portal records · Updated August 2026 · Quote freely with attribution
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Not all applications are treated equally. Extension types, listed building consent, and change of use applications each have very different success rates in Wakefield.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | 7,775 | 677 | 8,452 | 92.0% |
| Other | 1,656 | 134 | 1,790 | 92.5% |
| Trees | 747 | 423 | 1,170 | 63.8% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 883 | 54 | 937 | 94.2% |
| Advertisement | 422 | 58 | 480 | 87.9% |
| Listed Building | 323 | 19 | 342 | 94.4% |
| Change of Use | 132 | 3 | 135 | 97.8% |
A loft conversion in one ward can have a 90% approval rate. In the next ward, 55%. The free check tells you which side you're on, your free property report is emailed in minutes.
Check My PostcodeWard-level data reveals where planning applications are most and least likely to succeed. Officers, local policies, and neighbourhood character all play a role.
| Ward | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wakefield Rural | 1,042 | 148 | 1,190 | 87.6% |
| Wakefield North | 890 | 95 | 985 | 90.4% |
| Wakefield South | 808 | 109 | 917 | 88.1% |
| Ackworth, North Elmsall And Upton | 756 | 118 | 874 | 86.5% |
| Crofton, Ryhill And Walton | 642 | 98 | 740 | 86.8% |
| Pontefract North | 657 | 75 | 732 | 89.8% |
| Wrenthorpe And Outwood West | 662 | 65 | 727 | 91.1% |
| Ossett | 641 | 65 | 706 | 90.8% |
| Horbury And South Ossett | 625 | 79 | 704 | 88.8% |
| Stanley And Outwood East | 580 | 50 | 630 | 92.1% |
| Pontefract South | 524 | 71 | 595 | 88.1% |
| Castleford Central And Glasshoughton | 556 | 37 | 593 | 93.8% |
| Wakefield East | 492 | 61 | 553 | 89.0% |
| Altofts And Whitwood | 475 | 37 | 512 | 92.8% |
| Wakefield West | 435 | 55 | 490 | 88.8% |
| Normanton | 439 | 45 | 484 | 90.7% |
| South Elmsall And South Kirkby | 403 | 39 | 442 | 91.2% |
| Featherstone | 380 | 42 | 422 | 90.0% |
| Hemsworth | 371 | 37 | 408 | 90.9% |
| Knottingley | 290 | 25 | 315 | 92.1% |
| Airedale And Ferry Fryston | 261 | 16 | 277 | 94.2% |
How Wakefield’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, up 0.3pp since 2018.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from Wakefield council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| 26/00678/FUL South Elmsall And South Kirkby | Single storey extension to front including bay window and porch and single store | Approved |
| 26/01220/CPL Normanton | Alterations to internal layout, removal of door on southern side elevation and a | Approved |
| 26/01129/CPL Normanton | The proposed works comprise the installation of a rear dormer, roof lights to fr | Approved |
| 26/01014/FUL Wakefield North | Two storey extension to side with dormer to front and single storey rear extensi | Approved |
| 26/01013/FUL Wakefield East | Boundary fence to front (part retrospective) | Refused |
| 26/01015/FUL Ossett | First floor extension to side | Approved |
| 26/01000/FUL Ossett | Single storey extension to rear | Approved |
| 26/00990/FUL Ossett | Single storey rear extension with roof terraces above , new metal staircase and | Approved |
| 26/00901/FUL Wakefield Rural | Proposed dormer to front, changes to fenestration inclusive of installation of J | Approved |
| 26/00877/FUL Stanley And Outwood East | Installation of solar car port at existing hospital car park | Approved |
Find out what actually gets approved near your address first. Your free property report analyses the 20 nearest decisions to your property, ward-specific refusal patterns, and extension-by-extension approval patterns. Based on Wakefield's 13,310 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare Wakefield's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
Dig deeper into Wakefield's planning statistics, by ward, extension type, or project category:
Data-driven guides to help you understand planning approval patterns:
Yes. PlanningLens offers a free planning permission check for Wakefield. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 13,310 real decisions from Wakefield council. The full property-specific report is also free and emailed within minutes.
Enter your postcode on PlanningLens for a free instant check based on Wakefield's real planning decisions. The free property report goes further: it analyses the 20 nearest comparable decisions to your property, ward-level refusal patterns, and approval rates by application type. Free and emailed within minutes.
Based on 13,310 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Wakefield is 89.7%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 13,310 planning decisions from Wakefield council. 11,940 were approved and 1,370 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in Wakefield is 89.7%, but outcomes depend heavily on your specific ward, the type of extension or development you are proposing, and local planning policy. Use the free PlanningLens postcode check to get a personalised score.
Writing about planning in Wakefield? These figures are free to republish with attribution. Copy the one-line citation, or paste the stat box into any website, CMS or newsletter, it carries its own styling and links back to this page for verification.