Waltham Forest planning approval rate

Waltham Forest council approved 79.1% of planning applications and refused 20.9%, based on 21,278 decisions analysed. Ranked 9th out of 221 councils for strictness.

Last updated: March 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to present

79.1%

overall approval rate

21,278

Decisions analysed

16,831

Approved

4,447

Refused

Wards covered

Planning in Waltham Forest? Check your postcode to see approval rates specific to your ward and street.

Approval rate by application type

Different application types have different approval rates in Waltham Forest. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.

Other (14,311 decided)

81.7%

Full (5,057 decided)

78.1%

Prior Approval (1,910 decided)

62.5%

Approval rate by project type

These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Waltham Forest — mined from 21,278 proposal descriptions.

Rear Extension (7,930 decided)

75.3%

Dormer (4,549 decided)

80.3%

Loft Conversion (4,503 decided)

78.2%

Flat Conversion (1,820 decided)

81.4%

Garage / Parking (1,535 decided)

73.2%

Side Extension (1,470 decided)

72.8%

Change of Use (Residential) (957 decided)

68.0%

Outbuilding (656 decided)

81.2%

Hip-to-Gable Conversion (650 decided)

79.1%

Wraparound Extension (592 decided)

82.4%

HMO (432 decided)

28.5%

Extension (General) (405 decided)

84.2%

New Build (403 decided)

95.0%

Basement (268 decided)

70.5%

Front Extension (162 decided)

60.5%

Conservatory (104 decided)

79.8%

Annex (28 decided)

46.4%

Approval rate by ward

Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Waltham Forest. Click any ward for detailed statistics.

Leytonstone (294 decided)

73.1%

Hoe Street (288 decided)

79.9%

HOE STREET (286 decided)

95.8%

GROVE GREEN (282 decided)

97.2%

Grove Green (275 decided)

76.0%

LEYTONSTONE (275 decided)

95.6%

HIGH STREET (259 decided)

95.4%

Chapel End (258 decided)

81.8%

Wood Street (253 decided)

82.2%

FOREST (249 decided)

91.2%

Chingford Green (241 decided)

73.0%

LEA BRIDGE (239 decided)

97.1%

Lea Bridge (237 decided)

70.9%

High Street (235 decided)

78.7%

William Morris (229 decided)

76.0%

Cann Hall (227 decided)

76.2%

Forest (216 decided)

77.8%

Leyton (213 decided)

73.7%

LEYTON (213 decided)

99.1%

Markhouse (203 decided)

80.3%

Wards in Waltham Forest

Leytonstone

73.1% approval · 294 decisions

Hoe Street

79.9% approval · 288 decisions

HOE STREET

95.8% approval · 286 decisions

GROVE GREEN

97.2% approval · 282 decisions

Grove Green

76.0% approval · 275 decisions

LEYTONSTONE

95.6% approval · 275 decisions

HIGH STREET

95.4% approval · 259 decisions

Chapel End

81.8% approval · 258 decisions

Wood Street

82.2% approval · 253 decisions

FOREST

91.2% approval · 249 decisions

Chingford Green

73.0% approval · 241 decisions

LEA BRIDGE

97.1% approval · 239 decisions

Lea Bridge

70.9% approval · 237 decisions

High Street

78.7% approval · 235 decisions

William Morris

76.0% approval · 229 decisions

Cann Hall

76.2% approval · 227 decisions

Forest

77.8% approval · 216 decisions

Leyton

73.7% approval · 213 decisions

LEYTON

99.1% approval · 213 decisions

Markhouse

80.3% approval · 203 decisions

Recent comparable decisions

The most recent residential planning decisions in Waltham Forest, showing how the council decides real applications.

251380

Lawful Development Certificate (Proposed) - Construction of dormer roof extensio · Hoe Street · 06/06/2025

Approved

250749

Lawful Development Certificate (Proposed) - Construction of a hip to gable side · Forest · 27/05/2025

Refused

242453

Construction of a two storey rear extension to provide two additional self-conta · St James · 27/05/2025

Refused

Showing 3 of 200 comparable decisions. See all 200 in the Pro Report →

What gets approved near your property?

In Waltham Forest, 1 in 5 applications are refused. Your PlanningLens Pro Report gives you 17 pages of intelligence specific to your property:

✓ Ward-level approval rates for your exact area
✓ Common refusal reasons in Waltham Forest
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect

Get Waltham Forest Pro Report — £79

Less than one set of revised drawings. Based on 21,278 decisions.

Compare with nearby councils

Enfield Haringey Hackney Redbridge Newham

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