York Council approves 90.1% of planning applications, based on 11,900 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. York sits 1.5 percentage points above the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 11,900 decided applications published since January 2020, York Council approved 90.1% of planning applications. The national average approval rate across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of York council planning portal records · Updated August 2026 · Quote freely with attribution
Enter your postcode for a free, personalised approval pattern report, based on your ward and application type.
Not all applications are treated equally. Extension types, listed building consent, and change of use applications each have very different success rates in York.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | 5,720 | 652 | 6,372 | 89.8% |
| Other | 2,172 | 240 | 2,412 | 90.0% |
| Trees | 1,500 | 95 | 1,595 | 94.0% |
| Listed Building | 631 | 67 | 698 | 90.4% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 393 | 54 | 447 | 87.9% |
| Advertisement | 264 | 58 | 322 | 82.0% |
| Prior Approval | 45 | 9 | 54 | 83.3% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guildhall | 1,635 | 190 | 1,825 | 89.6% |
| Micklegate | 1,008 | 101 | 1,109 | 90.9% |
| Rural West York | 820 | 101 | 921 | 89.0% |
| Rawcliffe And Clifton Without | 562 | 63 | 625 | 89.9% |
| Huntington/New Earswick | 565 | 45 | 610 | 92.6% |
| Osbaldwick And Derwent | 524 | 84 | 608 | 86.2% |
| Haxby And Wigginton | 518 | 61 | 579 | 89.5% |
| Dringhouses And Woodthorpe | 519 | 48 | 567 | 91.5% |
| Heworth | 443 | 54 | 497 | 89.1% |
| Strensall | 420 | 68 | 488 | 86.1% |
| Holgate | 445 | 32 | 477 | 93.3% |
| Clifton | 424 | 39 | 463 | 91.6% |
| Fishergate | 414 | 41 | 455 | 91.0% |
| Wheldrake | 371 | 52 | 423 | 87.7% |
| Hull Road | 356 | 56 | 412 | 86.4% |
| Fulford And Heslington | 353 | 40 | 393 | 89.8% |
| Bishopthorpe | 316 | 27 | 343 | 92.1% |
| Westfield | 303 | 23 | 326 | 92.9% |
| Acomb | 271 | 17 | 288 | 94.1% |
| Copmanthorpe | 221 | 23 | 244 | 90.6% |
| Heworth Without | 219 | 7 | 226 | 96.9% |
How York’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, down 2.9pp since 2020.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from York council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| 26/01172/FUL Wheldrake | Two storey side extension and single storey rear extension | Approved |
| 26/01154/FUL Heworth Without | Dropped kerb and driveway to front | Approved |
| 26/01152/FUL Bishopthorpe | Two storey front extension | Approved |
| 26/01095/FUL Copmanthorpe | Enlarged side dormer and single storey front and side extensions - resubmission | Refused |
| 26/01024/FUL Micklegate | Erection of detached garage to rear following removal of existing garage, constr | Approved |
| 26/00979/FUL Rawcliffe And Clifton Without | Single storey side and rear extension | Approved |
| 26/00939/FUL Fulford And Heslington | Two storey side extension and dormers to side and rear roofslopes | Approved |
| 26/00740/ADV Guildhall | Display of 2no. projecting signs, 2no. fascia signs and vinyl graphics to doors | Approved |
| 26/00557/FUL Fishergate | Single storey side extension and change of use of existing kitchen to a bedroom | Refused |
| 26/01311/LHE Rural West York | Erection of single storey extension extending 4.06 metres beyond the rear wall o | 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 York's 11,900 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare York's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
Dig deeper into York'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 York. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 11,900 real decisions from York 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 York'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 11,900 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in York is 90.1%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 11,900 planning decisions from York council. 10,725 were approved and 1,175 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in York is 90.1%, 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 York? 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.