Which council has the highest planning approval rate in the UK?

North Lanarkshire has the highest approval rate at 99.8% based on 808 decisions.

Which council is hardest to get planning permission from?

Of the councils we track, Barking & Dagenham has the lowest approval rate at 71.7% based on 9,176 decisions.

What is the average planning approval rate in the UK?

Across 291 councils and 3,704,030 decisions, the average approval rate is 90.3%. But rates vary enormously by council, ward and project type.

Hardest and Easiest UK Councils for Planning: 291 Ranked (August 2026)

10 Easiest Councils for Planning Permission

These councils approve the highest proportion of applications. But a high council-wide rate doesn't guarantee your application will sail through, ward and proposal type shift the odds significantly.

#	Council	Decisions	Rate
1	North Lanarkshire	808	99.8%
2	Dacorum	2,049	99.6%
3	Staffordshire	1,891	99.4%
4	Falkirk	1,035	99.2%
5	Fareham	2,934	99.0%
6	Mansfield	3,180	98.9%
7	Mid Ulster District Council	3,064	98.9%
8	Western Isles	1,951	98.9%
9	City of London	10,621	98.8%
10	Mid Devon	6,223	98.7%

Found your council? See what's happening at street level →

10 Hardest Councils for Planning Permission

These councils have the toughest track records. If your property falls in one of these areas, understanding your local data before applying isn't optional, it's essential.

#	Council	Decisions	Rate
1	Barking & Dagenham	9,176	71.7%
2	East Hertfordshire	17,302	73.6%
3	Uttlesford	1,171	74.3%
4	Maldon	4,369	75.9%
5	Harrow	22,151	75.9%
6	Brent	32,963	76.0%
7	Waltham Forest	21,464	76.2%
8	Greenwich	23,270	78.2%
9	Caerphilly	4,966	78.2%
10	Elmbridge	73,618	78.4%

Found your council? See what's happening at street level →

All 291 Councils Ranked

#	Council	Decisions	Rate
1	North Lanarkshire	808	99.8%
2	Dacorum	2,049	99.6%
3	Staffordshire	1,891	99.4%
4	Falkirk	1,035	99.2%
5	Fareham	2,934	99.0%
6	Mansfield	3,180	98.9%
7	Mid Ulster District Council	3,064	98.9%
8	Western Isles	1,951	98.9%
9	City of London	10,621	98.8%
10	Mid Devon	6,223	98.7%
11	Somerset	553	98.7%
12	LLDC	3,226	98.6%
13	Shetland	9,031	98.3%
14	North Ayrshire	1,370	98.1%
15	Clackmannanshire	1,074	97.9%
16	Harlow	2,663	97.9%
17	Moray	1,565	97.9%
18	Carlisle	5,082	97.5%
19	North Kesteven	719	97.5%
20	Dumfries & Galloway	23,400	97.4%
21	Monmouthshire	2,401	97.4%
22	Derry City and Strabane District Council	7,298	97.3%
23	Gosport	1,751	97.3%
24	OPDC	1,284	97.1%
25	Ards and North Down Borough Council	7,954	97.0%
26	Rushmoor	4,465	96.8%
27	South Lanarkshire	26,323	96.8%
28	Inverclyde	1,098	96.6%
29	Fermanagh and Omagh District Council	8,576	96.4%
30	Halton	2,278	96.4%
31	Renfrewshire	3,761	96.4%
32	East Dunbartonshire	1,206	96.2%
33	Angus	14,114	96.1%
34	Cheltenham	14,267	96.0%
35	Hambleton	4,825	96.0%
36	Orkney	7,933	96.0%
37	Argyll & Bute	4,552	95.9%
38	Aberdeenshire	2,938	95.8%
39	Cotswold	24,466	95.6%
40	Neath Port Talbot	26,607	95.4%
41	South Ribble	4,384	95.4%
42	South Tyneside	3,258	95.4%
43	Melton	3,918	95.3%
44	South Ayrshire	1,182	95.3%
45	Stirling	12,434	95.3%
46	Bolsover	2,167	95.2%
47	Hartlepool	3,502	95.2%
48	Lincoln	7,069	95.2%
49	Canterbury	11,168	95.1%
50	South Norfolk	7,256	95.1%
51	Stockton-on-Tees	2,614	95.1%
52	Swindon	4,587	95.0%
53	County Durham	15,557	94.9%
54	Highland	2,828	94.9%
55	Winchester	7,039	94.9%
56	Broads Authority	2,400	94.8%
57	North Norfolk	2,728	94.8%
58	Tamworth	5,841	94.7%
59	Broxtowe	5,290	94.6%
60	West Lancashire	6,990	94.6%
61	Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council	10,265	94.5%
62	East Ayrshire	1,609	94.5%
63	East Lindsey	7,212	94.5%
64	North Tyneside	6,277	94.5%
65	North York Moors	3,130	94.5%
66	West Oxfordshire	7,591	94.5%
67	Knowsley	4,478	94.4%
68	Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park	8,002	94.4%
69	Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council	9,684	94.3%
70	Huntingdonshire	5,132	94.3%
71	Nottingham	7,376	94.3%
72	Perth & Kinross	22,618	94.3%
73	Aberdeen	21,912	94.2%
74	Belfast City Council	13,582	94.2%
75	Dundee	10,603	94.2%
76	Midlothian	1,391	94.2%
77	Redcar and Cleveland	11,386	94.2%
78	North West Leicestershire	2,020	94.0%
79	Rugby	13,912	94.0%
80	Stevenage	3,927	94.0%
81	Mid Sussex	8,785	93.9%
82	Mid and East Antrim Borough Council	7,142	93.9%
83	Newcastle-under-Lyme	1,184	93.8%
84	North East Lincolnshire	3,322	93.8%
85	North Northamptonshire	5,317	93.8%
86	Broadland	7,405	93.7%
87	North Hertfordshire	2,124	93.7%
88	Gateshead	7,467	93.6%
89	Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council	7,589	93.6%
90	West Suffolk	40,184	93.6%
91	Blaby	3,273	93.5%
92	Southwark	30,483	93.5%
93	Arun	3,412	93.4%
94	Camden	25,921	93.4%
95	Sandwell	7,027	93.4%
96	Bath & NE Somerset	36,813	93.3%
97	Bromsgrove & Redditch	2,420	93.3%
98	Newcastle upon Tyne	12,335	93.3%
99	South Kesteven	9,588	93.3%
100	Torridge	8,419	93.3%
101	Wandsworth	28,083	93.3%
102	Chorley	4,374	93.2%
103	Dover	6,755	93.2%
104	South Downs	10,988	93.2%
105	Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council	6,397	93.1%
106	Erewash	3,710	93.1%
107	Plymouth	7,239	93.1%
108	Cambridge	8,530	93.0%
109	Cornwall	24,970	93.0%
110	Rhondda Cynon Taf	5,234	92.9%
111	South Holland	1,559	92.9%
112	Derby	4,739	92.8%
113	Derbyshire Dales	4,637	92.8%
114	Dorset	25,048	92.8%
115	Norwich	8,590	92.7%
116	Rotherham	2,503	92.7%
117	Westmorland and Furness	52,290	92.7%
118	Darlington	3,317	92.6%
119	Kensington & Chelsea	33,223	92.5%
120	Stockport	455	92.5%
121	Gedling	4,473	92.4%
122	Telford & Wrekin	15,050	92.4%
123	Torfaen	4,898	92.4%
124	Cannock Chase	5,397	92.3%
125	Middlesbrough	18,777	92.3%
126	Hammersmith & Fulham	19,579	92.2%
127	Three Rivers	3,823	92.2%
128	Exmoor NPA	1,826	92.0%
129	Pembrokeshire Coast National Park	6,942	92.0%
130	Solihull	5,829	92.0%
131	Doncaster	12,357	91.9%
132	King's Lynn & West Norfolk	2,655	91.9%
133	Lancaster	4,802	91.9%
134	Hinckley & Bosworth	3,999	91.7%
135	BCP (Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole)	498	91.6%
136	Fife	6,313	91.5%
137	Oxford	6,203	91.5%
138	Rossendale	646	91.5%
139	Watford	4,940	91.5%
140	Wiltshire	210,657	91.5%
141	Harborough	3,940	91.4%
142	Lewes & Eastbourne	2,308	91.4%
143	Test Valley	6,063	91.4%
144	Lake District NPA	32,107	91.3%
145	Swale	1,693	91.3%
146	Babergh Mid Suffolk	19,354	91.2%
147	Horsham	13,181	91.2%
148	Northumberland	627	91.2%
149	Rutland	21,647	91.2%
150	Exeter	7,254	90.9%
151	Merthyr Tydfil	1,203	90.9%
152	Forest of Dean	6,413	90.8%
153	Westminster	65,586	90.8%
154	East Cambridgeshire	11,402	90.7%
155	Southampton	1,007	90.7%
156	West Lothian	13,706	90.7%
157	Bury	6,057	90.6%
158	East Hampshire	9,776	90.6%
159	Sheffield	7,218	90.6%
160	Tewkesbury	7,106	90.6%
161	Brecon Beacons National Park	13,130	90.4%
162	Tendring	1,815	90.4%
163	Great Yarmouth	2,675	90.3%
164	New Forest National Park	12,811	90.3%
165	North Somerset	20,178	90.3%
166	Tonbridge & Malling	8,694	90.3%
167	North East Derbyshire	6,477	90.2%
168	Surrey Heath	5,111	90.2%
169	Basingstoke & Deane	11,751	90.1%
170	York	11,900	90.1%
171	Barnsley	24,616	90.0%
172	Basildon	1,648	90.0%
173	Chichester	4,688	89.9%
174	Brighton & Hove	3,163	89.8%
175	City of Edinburgh	63,954	89.8%
176	Warwick	12,623	89.8%
177	Wakefield	13,353	89.7%
178	Kingston upon Hull	6,486	89.5%
179	Oldham	7,388	89.5%
180	West Berkshire	1,247	89.5%
181	Adur & Worthing	35,644	89.4%
182	Dudley	13,082	89.4%
183	Powys	7,210	89.4%
184	East Riding of Yorkshire	8,875	89.3%
185	Rushcliffe	7,992	89.3%
186	Southend-on-Sea	1,683	89.1%
187	Fenland	5,165	89.0%
188	North Yorkshire	3,833	88.9%
189	Tower Hamlets	25,697	88.9%
190	Haringey	24,342	88.7%
191	Reigate & Banstead	14,206	88.7%
192	Gwynedd	11,039	88.6%
193	Liverpool	48,035	88.6%
194	Newry, Mourne and Down District Council	12,427	88.6%
195	Sunderland	11,042	88.6%
196	Craven	486	88.5%
197	Portsmouth	9,214	88.5%
198	Wigan	5,618	88.5%
199	Isle of Wight	14,720	88.3%
200	Newport	5,820	88.2%
201	Trafford	13,295	88.2%
202	Glasgow	39,889	88.1%
203	Newark & Sherwood	10,831	88.0%
204	Sefton	7,121	88.0%
205	Ceredigion	37,514	87.9%
206	Epsom & Ewell	8,700	87.9%
207	Hounslow	73,101	87.9%
208	Hertsmere	4,144	87.8%
209	Flintshire	14,350	87.7%
210	Calderdale	13,752	87.6%
211	Dartford	7,865	87.6%
212	Ealing	70,047	87.6%
213	New Forest	9,442	87.6%
214	Peterborough	33,566	87.6%
215	Richmond	33,219	87.6%
216	Wirral	8,012	87.6%
217	Luton	4,480	87.3%
218	Runnymede	13,701	87.2%
219	Thanet	27,008	87.1%
220	Bristol	25,848	87.0%
221	Tameside	4,428	87.0%
222	Warrington	11,184	87.0%
223	Hastings	6,153	86.9%
224	South Gloucestershire	15,946	86.9%
225	Hackney	21,378	86.8%
226	Sevenoaks	12,682	86.8%
227	South Staffordshire	1,644	86.8%
228	Dartmoor NPA	4,350	86.5%
229	Leeds	45,799	86.5%
230	Kirklees	29,619	86.3%
231	Spelthorne	1,639	86.3%
232	Merton	18,193	86.2%
233	Pendle	3,531	86.2%
234	High Peak	8,972	86.1%
235	Hart	10,522	85.9%
236	Castle Point	3,039	85.8%
237	Swansea	3,860	85.8%
238	Woking	7,909	85.8%
239	Chelmsford	505	85.7%
240	Bolton	4,833	85.5%
241	Bexley	21,547	85.2%
242	Pembrokeshire	29,449	85.1%
243	Gloucester	4,331	85.0%
244	Newham	21,897	84.8%
245	Blackpool	748	84.5%
246	Lambeth	31,836	84.5%
247	Lichfield	2,991	84.5%
248	Stafford	4,619	84.5%
249	Cheshire East	15,157	84.4%
250	Scarborough	327	84.4%
251	Windsor & Maidenhead	7,868	84.3%
252	Bassetlaw	4,681	84.1%
253	Sutton	18,538	84.1%
254	Brentwood	12,129	84.0%
255	Coventry	2,668	83.9%
256	Birmingham	33,120	83.8%
257	Maidstone	1,843	83.6%
258	Wyre	718	83.6%
259	Leicester	538	83.3%
260	Staffordshire Moorlands	10,451	83.2%
261	Lewisham	25,675	82.9%
262	Slough	17,879	82.9%
263	Islington	85,214	82.8%
264	Selby	6,033	82.8%
265	Gravesham	1,673	82.7%
266	Cardiff	5,184	82.4%
267	Guildford	18,185	82.1%
268	Oadby & Wigston	2,302	81.9%
269	Barnet	55,519	81.7%
270	Stoke-on-Trent	1,761	81.6%
271	Croydon	40,612	81.3%
272	Bromley	36,167	81.0%
273	Thurrock	11,188	81.0%
274	Torbay	5,670	80.9%
275	Eastleigh	25,022	80.6%
276	Kingston	24,776	80.4%
277	Hillingdon	30,835	80.0%
278	Enfield	31,740	79.9%
279	Havering	24,197	79.5%
280	Bradford	28,182	79.2%
281	Redbridge	33,383	78.6%
282	Elmbridge	73,618	78.4%
283	Caerphilly	4,966	78.2%
284	Greenwich	23,270	78.2%
285	Waltham Forest	21,464	76.2%
286	Brent	32,963	76.0%
287	Harrow	22,151	75.9%
288	Maldon	4,369	75.9%
289	Uttlesford	1,171	74.3%
290	East Hertfordshire	17,302	73.6%
291	Barking & Dagenham	9,176	71.7%

Found your council? See what's happening at street level →

What the data tells us

1

The gap between councils is enormous. North Lanarkshire approves 99.8% of applications. Barking & Dagenham approves just 71.7%. Same country, completely different planning environments.

2

Council averages mask what actually matters. A council with a 78% approval rate still refuses thousands of applications. The difference between approval and refusal comes down to your specific ward, your neighbours, and your proposal.

3

National averages hide local variation. These rankings are a useful starting point, but the decisions that predict your outcome are the ones near your property, not the ones across the borough.

Hardest and Easiest Councils for Planning Permission

Check Your Postcode for Approval Chances

10 Easiest Councils for Planning Permission

10 Hardest Councils for Planning Permission

Your council's approval rate is just the starting point

All 291 Councils Ranked

What the data tells us

The UK average is meaningless. Your street isn't average.

More national planning data