Hardest councils for planning permission in the UK
This ranking shows the strictest councils for planning permission in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, based on 3,796,477 planning decisions analysed from January 2020 to August 2026. Councils are ranked by approval rate, the lower the rate, the higher your likelihood of refusal. While 88.6% of all planning applications are approved (as of August 2026), some councils approve barely 70% of applications. Understanding where your council sits can help you understand planning patterns before spending money on drawings and fees.
Last updated: August 2026 · Data sourced directly from council planning portals
Across every council on PlanningLens (305 councils, 3,796,477 decided applications), 88.6% of planning applications are approved (as of August 2026). This is a decision-weighted figure: total approvals divided by total decisions, all years, no exclusions. It is recalculated every time new data is added, so the as-of date matters when comparing figures across articles or sites.
Average council approval rate: 90.3% (as of August 2026). This is the unweighted average of each council's own rate across the 292 ranked councils: it answers 'what does the typical council approve?' The national headline figure (88.6%) is decision-weighted and answers 'what are the odds for a typical application?' The two differ because the councils that decide the most applications tend to approve a slightly smaller share of them. Councils excluded for data-comparability reasons: Blackburn with Darwen, Buckinghamshire, Cheshire West & Chester, Chesterfield, Medway, Stroud. Councils with fewer than 300 decided applications are not ranked.
Top 25 strictest councils
These are the councils with the lowest planning approval rates in our dataset (minimum 300 decided applications). A lower approval rate means your application faces a higher chance of refusal.
| # | Council | Approval | Refusal | Decisions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barking & Dagenham | 71.8% | 28.2% | 9,208 |
| 2 | East Hertfordshire | 73.6% | 26.4% | 17,367 |
| 3 | Uttlesford | 74.4% | 25.6% | 1,205 |
| 4 | Harrow | 75.9% | 24.1% | 22,207 |
| 5 | Brent | 76.0% | 24.0% | 32,963 |
| 6 | Maldon | 76.0% | 24.0% | 4,382 |
| 7 | Waltham Forest | 76.2% | 23.8% | 21,530 |
| 8 | Caerphilly | 78.2% | 21.8% | 4,983 |
| 9 | Greenwich | 78.2% | 21.8% | 23,302 |
| 10 | Elmbridge | 78.4% | 21.6% | 73,685 |
| 11 | Redbridge | 78.6% | 21.4% | 33,461 |
| 12 | Bradford | 79.2% | 20.8% | 28,371 |
| 13 | Havering | 79.5% | 20.5% | 24,254 |
| 14 | Enfield | 79.9% | 20.1% | 31,832 |
| 15 | Hillingdon | 80.0% | 20.0% | 30,876 |
| 16 | Kingston | 80.4% | 19.6% | 24,820 |
| 17 | Eastleigh | 80.6% | 19.4% | 25,022 |
| 18 | Torbay | 80.9% | 19.1% | 5,679 |
| 19 | Bromley | 81.0% | 19.0% | 36,167 |
| 20 | Thurrock | 81.1% | 18.9% | 11,208 |
| 21 | Croydon | 81.3% | 18.7% | 40,692 |
| 22 | Barnet | 81.6% | 18.4% | 55,615 |
| 23 | Stoke-on-Trent | 81.6% | 18.4% | 1,776 |
| 24 | Oadby & Wigston | 82.0% | 18.0% | 2,313 |
| 25 | Guildford | 82.1% | 17.9% | 18,214 |
Top 25 most permissive councils
These councils approve the highest proportion of planning applications.
| # | Council | Approval | Refusal | Decisions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Lanarkshire | 99.8% | 0.2% | 808 |
| 2 | Dacorum | 99.6% | 0.4% | 2,103 |
| 3 | Staffordshire | 99.4% | 0.6% | 1,896 |
| 4 | Falkirk | 99.2% | 0.8% | 1,041 |
| 5 | Fareham | 99.1% | 0.9% | 2,959 |
| 6 | Mansfield | 98.9% | 1.1% | 3,190 |
| 7 | Mid Ulster District Council | 98.9% | 1.1% | 3,083 |
| 8 | Western Isles | 98.9% | 1.1% | 1,961 |
| 9 | City of London | 98.8% | 1.2% | 10,663 |
| 10 | Mid Devon | 98.7% | 1.3% | 6,254 |
| 11 | Somerset | 98.7% | 1.3% | 553 |
| 12 | LLDC | 98.6% | 1.4% | 3,226 |
| 13 | Shetland | 98.3% | 1.7% | 9,040 |
| 14 | North Ayrshire | 98.1% | 1.9% | 1,380 |
| 15 | Clackmannanshire | 97.9% | 2.1% | 1,074 |
| 16 | Harlow | 97.9% | 2.1% | 2,678 |
| 17 | Moray | 97.9% | 2.1% | 1,584 |
| 18 | North Kesteven | 97.6% | 2.4% | 744 |
| 19 | Carlisle | 97.5% | 2.5% | 5,109 |
| 20 | Dumfries & Galloway | 97.4% | 2.6% | 23,431 |
| 21 | Monmouthshire | 97.4% | 2.6% | 2,428 |
| 22 | Derry City and Strabane District Council | 97.3% | 2.7% | 7,298 |
| 23 | Gosport | 97.3% | 2.7% | 1,762 |
| 24 | OPDC | 97.1% | 2.9% | 1,286 |
| 25 | Ards and North Down Borough Council | 97.0% | 3.0% | 7,954 |
What affects council approval rates?
Planning approval rates vary significantly between councils for several reasons. Councils in areas with high development pressure, conservation areas, and green belt land tend to refuse more applications. The type of applications submitted also matters, councils receiving more complex or speculative proposals will naturally show lower approval rates.
However, a council's overall rate doesn't tell the full story. Approval rates vary dramatically by ward, application type, and the specific nature of proposals. A council with a 70% overall rate may have wards where extensions are approved 95% of the time. That's why PlanningLens provides ward-level and type-specific data.
Planning in one of the strictest councils?
Some councils refuse nearly 1 in 3 applications. A council-wide average doesn't tell you how your street or application type performs.
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✓ Property-specific pattern analysis
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Frequently asked questions
What is the hardest council for planning permission in the UK?
Based on our analysis of 3,796,477 decisions, Barking & Dagenham has the lowest approval rate at 71.8%, making it the strictest council for planning permission in our dataset. However, approval rates vary significantly by ward and application type within every council.
What is the average planning approval rate in the UK?
Across all 305 councils on PlanningLens, 88.6% of planning applications are approved (as of August 2026), so roughly 11.4% are refused. That is a decision-weighted figure: total approvals divided by total decisions. The unweighted average of each council's own rate, across the 292 ranked councils, is 90.3%. Rates range from 71.8% to 99.8% depending on the council.
Why do some councils refuse more planning applications?
Councils with extensive conservation areas, green belt land, or high development pressure tend to refuse more applications. The mix of application types also matters, areas receiving more speculative or complex proposals will show higher refusal rates.
Does a low approval rate mean my application will be refused?
Not necessarily. Council-wide averages mask significant variation. A council with 75% overall approval may have wards where householder extensions are approved over 90% of the time. The specific ward, application type, and nature of your proposal all matter more than the headline rate.