Which ward in York has the highest planning approval rate?

Heworth Without at 96.9% based on 226 decisions.

Which ward in York has the lowest planning approval rate?

Strensall at 86.1% based on 488 decisions.

How much do planning approval rates vary across York?

There is a 10.8% 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 10.8% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

11,900 real decisions·21 wards·Updated August 2026

90.1% approved overall. But 1,175 applications refused since 2020. Where you live in York shifts your odds by up to 10.8%. 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	226	219	7	96.9%
2	Acomb	288	271	17	94.1%
3	Holgate	477	445	32	93.3%
4	Westfield	326	303	23	92.9%
5	Huntington/New Earswick	610	565	45	92.6%
6	Bishopthorpe	343	316	27	92.1%
7	Clifton	463	424	39	91.6%
8	Dringhouses And Woodthorpe	567	519	48	91.5%
9	Fishergate	455	414	41	91.0%
10	Micklegate	1,109	1,008	101	90.9%
11	Copmanthorpe	244	221	23	90.6%
12	Rawcliffe And Clifton Without	625	562	63	89.9%
13	Fulford And Heslington	393	353	40	89.8%
14	Guildhall	1,825	1,635	190	89.6%
15	Haxby And Wigginton	579	518	61	89.5%
16	Heworth	497	443	54	89.1%
17	Rural West York	921	820	101	89.0%
18	Wheldrake	423	371	52	87.7%
19	Hull Road	412	356	56	86.4%
20	Osbaldwick And Derwent	608	524	84	86.2%
21	Strensall	488	420	68	86.1%

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 10.8% gap separates the best and worst wards. Heworth Without approves 96.9% of applications while Strensall approves just 86.1%. 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

1,175 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 11,900 planning decisions in York, January 2020 to August 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 →