York planning approval rate
York council approved 90.2% of planning applications and refused 9.8%, based on 11,446 decisions analysed. Ranked 122nd out of 284 councils for strictness.
Last updated: June 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to present
90.2%
overall approval rate
11,446
Decisions analysed
10,322
Approved
1,124
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.
90.0%
90.0%
93.9%
90.3%
82.3%
81.2%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in York, mined from 11,446 proposal descriptions.
94.0%
93.3%
90.6%
88.6%
88.5%
95.0%
75.6%
87.7%
92.3%
82.8%
95.9%
90.2%
92.7%
86.9%
87.1%
60.9%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within York. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
Guildhall
89.6%
Micklegate
90.6%
Rural West York
89.0%
Rawcliffe And Clifton Without
89.9%
Osbaldwick And Derwent
86.3%
Huntington/New Earswick
93.1%
Haxby And Wigginton
89.6%
Dringhouses And Woodthorpe
91.7%
Heworth
89.2%
Strensall
86.8%
Holgate
93.4%
Clifton
91.2%
Fishergate
90.8%
Wheldrake
87.7%
Hull Road
87.1%
Fulford And Heslington
89.8%
Bishopthorpe
91.9%
Westfield
92.7%
Acomb
94.2%
Copmanthorpe
91.1%
Wards in York
Guildhall
89.6% approval · 1,756 decisions
Micklegate
90.6% approval · 1,062 decisions
Rural West York
89.0% approval · 892 decisions
Rawcliffe And Clifton Without
89.9% approval · 606 decisions
Osbaldwick And Derwent
86.3% approval · 583 decisions
Huntington/New Earswick
93.1% approval · 583 decisions
Haxby And Wigginton
89.6% approval · 565 decisions
Dringhouses And Woodthorpe
91.7% approval · 553 decisions
Heworth
89.2% approval · 481 decisions
Strensall
86.8% approval · 468 decisions
Holgate
93.4% approval · 458 decisions
Clifton
91.2% approval · 444 decisions
Fishergate
90.8% approval · 433 decisions
Wheldrake
87.7% approval · 397 decisions
Hull Road
87.1% approval · 394 decisions
Fulford And Heslington
89.8% approval · 372 decisions
Bishopthorpe
91.9% approval · 335 decisions
Westfield
92.7% approval · 314 decisions
Acomb
94.2% approval · 278 decisions
Copmanthorpe
91.1% approval · 236 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in York, showing how the council decides real applications.
Single storey rear extension · Guildhall · Fri 26 Jun 2026
Single storey side and rear extension · Rural West York · Fri 26 Jun 2026
Formation of access door to front elevation · Micklegate · Fri 26 Jun 2026
Showing 3 of 200 comparable decisions. See all 200 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 11,446 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in York
What is the planning approval rate in York?
Based on 11,446 planning decisions analysed since 2020, York approved 90.2% of applications and refused 9.8%. The council is ranked 122nd out of 284 UK councils for approval rate.
How many planning applications are refused in York?
York refuses 9.8% of planning applications, roughly 1 in 10. That is lower than the UK average of 11.7%. Out of 11,446 decided applications since 2020, 1,124 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 (97.2%), Acomb (94.2%), and Holgate (93.4%). 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 (6,181 decisions, 90.0% approved), Other (2,321, 90.0%), and Trees (1,528, 93.9%).
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 11,369 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 1,908 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 11,446 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.