Westminster Council approves 90.8% of planning applications, based on 65,586 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. Westminster sits 2.2 percentage points above the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 8,049 decided applications, Westminster Council approved 88.1% of planning applications in 2025. Across 65,586 decisions analysed since January 2020, the overall approval rate in Westminster is 90.8%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Westminster 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 Westminster.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 59,306 | 5,976 | 65,282 | 90.8% |
| Prior Approval | 178 | 50 | 228 | 78.1% |
| Full | 68 | 8 | 76 | 89.5% |
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 PostcodeHow Westminster’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, down 8.0pp since 2018.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from Westminster council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| None Bww_22 | Registering to assign address numbering and postcode to nine residential units a | Approved |
| None Wew_22 | Installation of two new louvres to existing lightwell; new entry door to basemen | Approved |
| None Sjw_22 | Details of secure cycle storage for the residential use; pursuant to condition 5 | Approved |
| None Mbw_22 | Alterations to the shopfront. | Approved |
| None Mbw_22 | Use of ground floor and mezzanine levels to rear as residential (Class C3) use; | Approved |
| None Wew_22 | Alterations to shopfront. | Approved |
| None Wew_22 | Amalgamation of two residential apartments into a single residential apartment a | Approved |
| None Mbw_22 | Internal alterations to facilitate the use of the building as a residential dwel | Approved |
| None Bww_22 | Erection of a first floor rear extension including installation of two new roofl | Approved |
| None Wew_22 | Details of new windows and external doors pursuant to condition 4 of planning pe | 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 Westminster's 65,586 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare Westminster's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
Dig deeper into Westminster'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 Westminster. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 65,586 real decisions from Westminster 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 Westminster'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 65,586 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Westminster is 90.8%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 65,586 planning decisions from Westminster council. 59,552 were approved and 6,034 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in Westminster is 90.8%, 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.
Writing about planning in Westminster? 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.