Which ward in York has the highest planning approval rate?

Heworth Without at 97.0% based on 232 decisions.

Which ward in York has the lowest planning approval rate?

Strensall at 85.9% based on 495 decisions.

How much do planning approval rates vary across York?

There is a 11.1% gap between Heworth Without and Strensall. Your postcode significantly affects outcomes.

Planning Approval Rates by Ward in York

Planning outcomes in York are highly localised. The gap between the most and least permissive wards is 11.1% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

6,750 real decisions·21 wards·Updated September 2026

89.1% approved overall. But 735 applications refused since 2020. Where you live in York shifts your odds by up to 11.1%. The council average doesn't tell you which side of that gap you're on.

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All 21 wards ranked

#	Ward	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	Heworth Without	232	225	7	97.0%
2	Acomb	290	272	18	93.8%
3	Holgate	485	453	32	93.4%
4	Westfield	333	310	23	93.1%
5	Huntington/New Earswick	626	580	46	92.7%
6	Bishopthorpe	353	326	27	92.4%
7	Clifton	468	428	40	91.5%
8	Dringhouses And Woodthorpe	577	528	49	91.5%
9	Fishergate	467	425	42	91.0%
10	Micklegate	1,136	1,030	106	90.7%
11	Copmanthorpe	248	224	24	90.3%
12	Fulford And Heslington	401	361	40	90.0%
13	Rawcliffe And Clifton Without	632	569	63	90.0%
14	Haxby And Wigginton	595	533	62	89.6%
15	Guildhall	1,861	1,663	198	89.4%
16	Rural West York	947	845	102	89.2%
17	Heworth	509	453	56	89.0%
18	Wheldrake	428	376	52	87.9%
19	Hull Road	421	365	56	86.7%
20	Osbaldwick And Derwent	619	534	85	86.3%
21	Strensall	495	425	70	85.9%

See how this applies to your postcode →

These are council averages. Your property is specific.

An extension might sail through in Heworth Without but face serious resistance in Strensall.
Check your postcode to see what actually happens near your address.

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What the data tells us

A 11.1% gap separates the best and worst wards. Heworth Without approves 97.0% of applications while Strensall approves just 85.9%. 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

735 planning applications in York 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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More York planning data

Nearby councils ward breakdowns

Methodology: Covers 6,750 planning decisions in York, January 2020 to September 2026. Approval rate = approved / (approved + refused). Pending, withdrawn and invalid excluded. Ward boundaries reflect current electoral divisions. Data from York Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →