Which ward in Waltham Forest has the highest planning approval rate?

LEYTON at 99.1% based on 213 decisions.

Which ward in Waltham Forest has the lowest planning approval rate?

Hale End and Highams Park South at 68.9% based on 61 decisions.

How much do planning approval rates vary across Waltham Forest?

There is a 30.2% gap between LEYTON and Hale End and Highams Park South. Your postcode significantly affects outcomes.

Planning Approval Rates by Ward in Waltham Forest

Planning outcomes in Waltham Forest are highly localised. The gap between the most and least permissive wards is 30.2% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

21,278 real decisions·44 wards·Updated March 2026

All 44 wards ranked

#	Ward	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	LEYTON	213	211	2	99.1%
2	HIGHAM HILL	152	149	3	98.0%
3	MARKHOUSE	199	195	4	98.0%
4	CATHALL	190	186	4	97.9%
5	VALLEY	110	107	3	97.3%
6	WILLIAM MORRIS	145	141	4	97.2%
7	GROVE GREEN	282	274	8	97.2%
8	LEA BRIDGE	239	232	7	97.1%
9	CANN HALL	164	159	5	97.0%
10	CHAPEL END	124	120	4	96.8%
11	WOOD STREET	189	183	6	96.8%
12	ENDLEBURY	89	86	3	96.6%
13	CHINGFORD GREEN	138	133	5	96.4%
14	HALE END AND HIGHAMS PARK	98	94	4	95.9%
15	HATCH LANE	72	69	3	95.8%
16	HOE STREET	286	274	12	95.8%
17	LEYTONSTONE	275	263	12	95.6%
18	HIGH STREET	259	247	12	95.4%
19	LARKSWOOD	92	86	6	93.5%
20	FOREST	249	227	22	91.2%
21	Hatch Lane	98	82	16	83.7%
22	Wood Street	253	208	45	82.2%
23	Chapel End	258	211	47	81.8%
24	Markhouse	203	163	40	80.3%
25	Hoe Street	288	230	58	79.9%
26	Hatch Lane & Highams Park North	104	83	21	79.8%
27	Upper Walthamstow	96	76	20	79.2%
28	Hale End and Highams Park	114	90	24	78.9%
29	High Street	235	185	50	78.7%
30	Larkswood	196	154	42	78.6%
31	Forest	216	168	48	77.8%
32	Endlebury	189	144	45	76.2%
33	Cann Hall	227	173	54	76.2%
34	William Morris	229	174	55	76.0%
35	Grove Green	275	209	66	76.0%
36	Leyton	213	157	56	73.7%
37	Leytonstone	294	215	79	73.1%
38	St James	119	87	32	73.1%
39	Chingford Green	241	176	65	73.0%
40	Higham Hill	168	122	46	72.6%
41	Cathall	135	98	37	72.6%
42	Lea Bridge	237	168	69	70.9%
43	Valley	194	137	57	70.6%
44	Hale End and Highams Park South	61	42	19	68.9%

See how this applies to your postcode →

What the data tells us

A 30.2% gap separates the best and worst wards. LEYTON approves 99.1% of applications while Hale End and Highams Park South approves just 68.9%. 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

4,447 planning applications in Waltham Forest have been refused since 2020. Many of those homeowners had already paid for drawings and application fees. A £79 report shows you what gets approved — and what gets refused — near your property.

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Free instant check · Pro Report £79 · Based on 2,500,000+ real decisions

More Waltham Forest planning data

Nearby councils ward breakdowns

Methodology: Covers 21,278 planning decisions in Waltham Forest, January 2020 to present. Approval rate = approved / (approved + refused). Pending, withdrawn and invalid excluded. Ward boundaries reflect current electoral divisions. Data from Waltham Forest Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →