Which ward in York has the highest planning approval rate?

Heworth Without at 96.8% based on 221 decisions.

Which ward in York has the lowest planning approval rate?

Strensall at 86.0% based on 487 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.

11,828 real decisions·21 wards·Updated August 2026

90.1% approved overall. But 1,166 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	221	214	7	96.8%
2	Acomb	287	271	16	94.4%
3	Holgate	477	445	32	93.3%
4	Westfield	324	301	23	92.9%
5	Huntington/New Earswick	604	560	44	92.7%
6	Bishopthorpe	342	315	27	92.1%
7	Clifton	459	420	39	91.5%
8	Dringhouses And Woodthorpe	565	517	48	91.5%
9	Fishergate	449	409	40	91.1%
10	Copmanthorpe	243	221	22	90.9%
11	Micklegate	1,103	1,002	101	90.8%
12	Rawcliffe And Clifton Without	620	558	62	90.0%
13	Fulford And Heslington	388	348	40	89.7%
14	Guildhall	1,816	1,626	190	89.5%
15	Heworth	495	443	52	89.5%
16	Haxby And Wigginton	576	515	61	89.4%
17	Rural West York	919	818	101	89.0%
18	Wheldrake	419	368	51	87.8%
19	Hull Road	410	355	55	86.6%
20	Osbaldwick And Derwent	603	519	84	86.1%
21	Strensall	487	419	68	86.0%

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 96.8% of applications while Strensall approves just 86.0%. 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

1,166 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 11,828 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 →