York planning approval rate
York council approved 90.1% of planning applications and refused 9.9%, based on 11,900 decisions analysed. Ranked 125th out of 300 councils for strictness.
Last updated: August 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to August 2026
90.1%
overall approval rate
11,900
Decisions analysed
10,725
Approved
1,175
Refused
21
Wards covered
Planning in York? Check your postcode to see approval rates specific to your ward and street.
Approval rate by application type
Different application types have different approval rates in York. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.
89.8%
90.0%
94.0%
90.4%
82.0%
83.3%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in York, mined from 11,900 proposal descriptions.
93.9%
93.1%
90.3%
88.4%
88.5%
94.8%
75.6%
92.3%
88.0%
83.7%
96.0%
90.0%
92.4%
84.8%
87.4%
58.3%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within York. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
Guildhall
89.6%
Micklegate
90.9%
Rural West York
89.0%
Rawcliffe And Clifton Without
89.9%
Huntington/New Earswick
92.6%
Osbaldwick And Derwent
86.2%
Haxby And Wigginton
89.5%
Dringhouses And Woodthorpe
91.5%
Heworth
89.1%
Strensall
86.1%
Holgate
93.3%
Clifton
91.6%
Fishergate
91.0%
Wheldrake
87.7%
Hull Road
86.4%
Fulford And Heslington
89.8%
Bishopthorpe
92.1%
Westfield
92.9%
Acomb
94.1%
Copmanthorpe
90.6%
Wards in York
Guildhall
89.6% approval · 1,825 decisions
Micklegate
90.9% approval · 1,109 decisions
Rural West York
89.0% approval · 921 decisions
Rawcliffe And Clifton Without
89.9% approval · 625 decisions
Huntington/New Earswick
92.6% approval · 610 decisions
Osbaldwick And Derwent
86.2% approval · 608 decisions
Haxby And Wigginton
89.5% approval · 579 decisions
Dringhouses And Woodthorpe
91.5% approval · 567 decisions
Heworth
89.1% approval · 497 decisions
Strensall
86.1% approval · 488 decisions
Holgate
93.3% approval · 477 decisions
Clifton
91.6% approval · 463 decisions
Fishergate
91.0% approval · 455 decisions
Wheldrake
87.7% approval · 423 decisions
Hull Road
86.4% approval · 412 decisions
Fulford And Heslington
89.8% approval · 393 decisions
Bishopthorpe
92.1% approval · 343 decisions
Westfield
92.9% approval · 326 decisions
Acomb
94.1% approval · 288 decisions
Copmanthorpe
90.6% approval · 244 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in York, showing how the council decides real applications.
Two storey side extension and single storey rear extension · Wheldrake · Fri 14 Aug 2026
Dropped kerb and driveway to front · Heworth Without · Fri 14 Aug 2026
Two storey front extension · Bishopthorpe · Fri 14 Aug 2026
Showing 3 recent comparable decisions. See more in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In York, 1 in 10 applications are refused. Your PlanningLens Full Planning Analysis gives you 17 pages of intelligence specific to your property:
✓ Ward-level approval rates for your exact area
✓ Common refusal reasons in York
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for York →
✓ Common refusal reasons in York
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free. Based on 11,900 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in York
What is the planning approval rate in York?
Based on 11,900 planning decisions analysed since 2020, York approved 90.1% of applications and refused 9.9%. The council is ranked 125th out of 300 UK councils for approval rate.
How many planning applications are refused in York?
York refuses 9.9% of planning applications, roughly 1 in 10. That is lower than the UK average of 11.4%. Out of 11,900 decided applications since 2020, 1,175 were refused. PlanningLens lets you check any postcode to see which applications were refused near a specific property.
Which areas of York have the highest planning approval rates?
The highest approval rates in York are in Heworth Without (96.9%), Acomb (94.1%), and Holgate (93.3%). Approval rates vary significantly by ward, see the full ward breakdown above.
What types of planning application are most common in York?
The most common planning application types in York are: Full (6,372 decisions, 89.8% approved), Other (2,412, 90.0%), and Trees (1,595, 94.0%).
How long does a planning application take in York?
Planning applications in York take an average of 12.0 weeks to reach a decision, measured across 11,819 decisions with a recorded timeline. That is slower than the 8-week statutory target for householder applications (the statutory targets are 8 weeks for householder applications and 13 weeks for major developments). PlanningLens measures the actual time each application takes, not just the target. York decides approximately 1,983 planning applications per year.
How do I check planning applications in York?
You can search planning applications in York directly on the council's official planning portal. PlanningLens also lets you check any postcode against 11,900 historical decisions in York to see what's been approved and refused near a specific property.
How is PlanningLens approval rate data for York calculated?
PlanningLens scrapes York's official planning portal and analyses every published decision since January 2020. The approval rate is calculated as approved decisions divided by total decided applications, excluding withdrawn and pending applications. The full methodology, data sourcing, and Creative Commons BY 4.0 licensing terms are published at planninglens.co.uk/methodology.