Wandsworth Council approves 92.8% of planning applications, based on 23,652 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. Wandsworth sits 7.8 percentage points above the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 4,847 decided applications, Wandsworth Council approved 92.3% of planning applications in 2025. The typical time from validation to decision in Wandsworth is 8.0 weeks, the median across 19,475 applications decided since January 2020. Across 23,652 decisions on record (May 1978 to September 2026), the overall approval rate in Wandsworth is 92.8%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Wandsworth council planning portal records · Data to 10 September 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 Wandsworth.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 21,536 | 1,361 | 22,897 | 94.1% |
| Full | 4,570 | 428 | 4,998 | 91.4% |
| Prior Approval | 494 | 156 | 650 | 76.0% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thamesfield | 1,766 | 125 | 1,891 | 93.4% |
| Wandsworth Common | 1,625 | 134 | 1,759 | 92.4% |
| Balham | 1,568 | 114 | 1,682 | 93.2% |
| West Putney | 1,318 | 105 | 1,423 | 92.6% |
| Northcote | 1,313 | 89 | 1,402 | 93.7% |
| East Putney | 1,220 | 99 | 1,319 | 92.5% |
| Southfields | 990 | 81 | 1,071 | 92.4% |
| Furzedown | 907 | 91 | 998 | 90.9% |
| Wandsworth Town | 861 | 89 | 950 | 90.6% |
| Tooting Broadway | 776 | 97 | 873 | 88.9% |
| Trinity | 723 | 84 | 807 | 89.6% |
| West Hill | 732 | 74 | 806 | 90.8% |
| Lavender | 623 | 67 | 690 | 90.3% |
| Roehampton | 641 | 43 | 684 | 93.7% |
| South Balham | 645 | 34 | 679 | 95.0% |
| Wandle | 587 | 66 | 653 | 89.9% |
| Tooting Bec | 546 | 94 | 640 | 85.3% |
| Nine Elms | 625 | 10 | 635 | 98.4% |
| Queenstown | 628 | 5 | 633 | 99.2% |
| Shaftesbury & Queenstown | 552 | 42 | 594 | 92.9% |
| Battersea Park | 534 | 44 | 578 | 92.4% |
| St. Mary'S Park | 554 | 5 | 559 | 99.1% |
| St Mary's | 502 | 53 | 555 | 90.5% |
| Fairfield | 542 | 13 | 555 | 97.7% |
| Nightingale | 511 | 9 | 520 | 98.3% |
Showing top 25 of 57 wards by volume. Your free property report includes the full ward breakdown.
See full ward breakdown →How Wandsworth’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, down 7.2pp since 2018.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from Wandsworth council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| 2026/2024 | Tree (front garden): Cut branches overhanging the rear of the drive. | Approved |
| 2026/1541 East Putney | Installation of replacement roof covering with free-standing guardrail. | Approved |
| 2026/2175 Lavender | Alterations including erection of a single storey rear/side extension. | Approved |
| 2026/2203 Lavender | Altertions including erection of mansard roof extension to main rear roof and fo | Approved |
| 2026/2220 Battersea Park | Alterations including erection of mansard roof extension to main rear roof (with | Approved |
| 2025/3832 Roehampton | Alterations including erection of mansard roof extension to main rear roof incl | Refused |
| 2026/1403 Lavender | Display of internally illuminated wall mounted lettering sign and projecting sig | Approved |
| 2026/1532 Northcote | Installation of foldable, freestanding safety guardrail system to the roof perim | Approved |
| 2026/0923 Tooting Broadway | Alterations including erection of mansard roof extension to main rear roof (with | Approved |
| 2026/1296 Furzedown | Formation of hard and soft landscaping to create 29no. car parking spaces, 6no. | 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 Wandsworth's 23,652 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare Wandsworth's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
Dig deeper into Wandsworth'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 Wandsworth. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 23,652 real decisions from Wandsworth 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 Wandsworth'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 23,652 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Wandsworth is 92.8%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 23,652 planning decisions from Wandsworth council. 21,953 were approved and 1,699 were refused. These figures cover every decision on record for the council, May 1978 to September 2026.
The average approval rate in Wandsworth is 92.8%, 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.
The typical time from validation to decision in Wandsworth is 8.0 weeks, the median across 19,475 applications decided since January 2020. This PlanningLens figure is calculated from decision dates published by Wandsworth council itself, reflecting actual elapsed time rather than statutory targets.
Writing about planning in Wandsworth? 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.