Which ward in Watford has the highest planning approval rate?

Nascot at 94.5% based on 652 decisions.

Which ward in Watford has the lowest planning approval rate?

Holywell at 84.1% based on 232 decisions.

How much do planning approval rates vary across Watford?

There is a 10.4% gap between Nascot and Holywell. Your postcode significantly affects outcomes.

Planning Approval Rates by Ward in Watford

Planning outcomes in Watford are highly localised. The gap between the most and least permissive wards is 10.4% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

4,940 real decisions·13 wards·Updated August 2026

91.5% approved overall. But 418 applications refused since 2020. Where you live in Watford shifts your odds by up to 10.4%. The council average doesn't tell you which side of that gap you're on.

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All 13 wards ranked

#	Ward	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	Nascot	652	616	36	94.5%
2	Stanborough	344	323	21	93.9%
3	Leggatts	306	286	20	93.5%
4	TR Leavesden	13	12	1	92.3%
5	Park	730	672	58	92.1%
6	Oxhey	420	387	33	92.1%
7	Woodside	295	271	24	91.9%
8	Meriden	308	282	26	91.6%
9	Tudor	440	402	38	91.4%
10	Central	565	512	53	90.6%
11	Callowland	307	273	34	88.9%
12	Vicarage	293	260	33	88.7%
13	Holywell	232	195	37	84.1%

See how this applies to your postcode →

These are council averages. Your property is specific.

An extension might sail through in Nascot but face serious resistance in Holywell.
Check your postcode to see what actually happens near your address.

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What the data tells us

A 10.4% gap separates the best and worst wards. Nascot approves 94.5% of applications while Holywell approves just 84.1%. 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

418 planning applications in Watford 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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Free · Property report emailed in minutes · Based on 3,780,000+ real decisions

More Watford planning data

Methodology: Covers 4,940 planning decisions in Watford, January 2020 to August 2026. Approval rate = approved / (approved + refused). Pending, withdrawn and invalid excluded. Ward boundaries reflect current electoral divisions. Data from Watford Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →