Which ward in York has the highest planning approval rate?

Heworth Without at 97.1% based on 206 decisions.

Which ward in York has the lowest planning approval rate?

Osbaldwick And Derwent at 86.4% based on 552 decisions.

How much do planning approval rates vary across York?

There is a 10.7% gap between Heworth Without and Osbaldwick And Derwent. 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 10.7% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

10,877 real decisions·21 wards·Updated March 2026

90.3% approved overall. But 1,050 applications refused since 2020. Where you live in York shifts your odds by up to 10.7%. 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	206	200	6	97.1%
2	Acomb	271	256	15	94.5%
3	Westfield	301	283	18	94.0%
4	Huntington/New Earswick	543	509	34	93.7%
5	Holgate	437	408	29	93.4%
6	Bishopthorpe	312	287	25	92.0%
7	Dringhouses And Woodthorpe	525	483	42	92.0%
8	Fishergate	405	372	33	91.9%
9	Copmanthorpe	229	209	20	91.3%
10	Clifton	420	382	38	91.0%
11	Micklegate	1,003	908	95	90.5%
12	Rawcliffe And Clifton Without	575	519	56	90.3%
13	Guildhall	1,676	1,507	169	89.9%
14	Fulford And Heslington	358	321	37	89.7%
15	Haxby And Wigginton	539	483	56	89.6%
16	Heworth	455	405	50	89.0%
17	Rural West York	854	757	97	88.6%
18	Wheldrake	376	331	45	88.0%
19	Hull Road	364	318	46	87.4%
20	Strensall	455	394	61	86.6%
21	Osbaldwick And Derwent	552	477	75	86.4%

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 Osbaldwick And Derwent.
Check your postcode to see what actually happens near your address.

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What the data tells us

A 10.7% gap separates the best and worst wards. Heworth Without approves 97.1% of applications while Osbaldwick And Derwent approves just 86.4%. 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

1,050 planning applications in York have been refused since 2020. Many of those homeowners had already paid for drawings and application fees. A £79 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 10,877 planning decisions in York, January 2020 to present. 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 →