What is the average loft conversion approval rate in the UK?

Across 73 councils and 134,226 decisions, the average approval rate is 83.5%. But rates vary enormously by council and location.

Which council has the highest loft conversion approval rate?

Wakefield at 95.7% based on 253 decisions.

How many loft conversion applications get refused?

Of 134,226 decisions nationally, 23,215 were refused. That is roughly 1 in 6 applications.

Loft Conversion: What Are Your Chances? UK Approval Rates (June 2026)

10 Best Councils for Loft Conversions

These councils approve loft conversion applications at the highest rate. But remember, a high council average can hide wards where refusal rates are double the headline figure.

#	Council	Decisions	Refused	Rate
1	Wakefield	253	11	95.7%
2	North Tyneside	419	22	94.7%
3	Warwick	361	22	93.9%
4	Cornwall	420	27	93.6%
5	Mid Sussex	357	24	93.3%
6	City of Edinburgh	791	57	92.8%
7	Cheltenham	412	30	92.7%
8	Hammersmith & Fulham	2,800	217	92.2%
9	Newcastle upon Tyne	314	25	92.0%
10	Bath & NE Somerset	1,100	94	91.5%

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10 Hardest Councils for Loft Conversions

These councils refuse loft conversions at the highest rate. Roofline changes face extra scrutiny in areas with uniform streetscapes or conservation areas.

#	Council	Decisions	Refused	Rate
1	Barking & Dagenham	257	139	45.9%
2	Islington	6,045	1,983	67.2%
3	Greenwich	2,580	838	67.5%
4	Enfield	485	141	70.9%
5	Brentwood	545	155	71.6%
6	Brent	4,278	1,144	73.3%
7	Birmingham	792	205	74.1%
8	Hillingdon	487	125	74.3%
9	Tower Hamlets	1,272	318	75.0%
10	East Hertfordshire	958	237	75.3%

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All 73 Councils Ranked for Loft Conversions

#	Council	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	Wakefield	253	242	11	95.7%
2	North Tyneside	419	397	22	94.7%
3	Warwick	361	339	22	93.9%
4	Cornwall	420	393	27	93.6%
5	Mid Sussex	357	333	24	93.3%
6	City of Edinburgh	791	734	57	92.8%
7	Cheltenham	412	382	30	92.7%
8	Hammersmith & Fulham	2,800	2,583	217	92.2%
9	Newcastle upon Tyne	314	289	25	92.0%
10	Bath & NE Somerset	1,100	1,006	94	91.5%
11	Cambridge	356	325	31	91.3%
12	Wandsworth	4,450	4,063	387	91.3%
13	Bury	260	237	23	91.2%
14	Oxford	344	312	32	90.7%
15	North Somerset	606	548	58	90.4%
16	Watford	644	582	62	90.4%
17	Merton	3,891	3,498	393	89.9%
18	Hounslow	12,095	10,848	1,247	89.7%
19	Bradford	889	796	93	89.5%
20	Peterborough	258	230	28	89.1%
21	Windsor & Maidenhead	274	244	30	89.1%
22	Southwark	2,162	1,916	246	88.6%
23	Bristol	2,728	2,412	316	88.4%
24	Westminster	3,022	2,668	354	88.3%
25	Trafford	472	416	56	88.1%
26	Tonbridge & Malling	306	268	38	87.6%
27	Slough	1,158	1,013	145	87.5%
28	Rushcliffe	374	327	47	87.4%
29	Adur & Worthing	1,745	1,523	222	87.3%
30	Ealing	12,991	11,319	1,672	87.1%
31	Runnymede	691	602	89	87.1%
32	Warrington	357	310	47	86.8%
33	Exeter	265	229	36	86.4%
34	Cheshire East	261	225	36	86.2%
35	Haringey	2,341	2,019	322	86.2%
36	Kensington & Chelsea	1,803	1,555	248	86.2%
37	Reigate & Banstead	742	638	104	86.0%
38	Thanet	817	703	114	86.0%
39	Camden	1,464	1,255	209	85.7%
40	Hastings	256	219	37	85.5%
41	Epsom & Ewell	774	652	122	84.2%
42	Leeds	717	592	125	82.6%
43	Sevenoaks	478	391	87	81.8%
44	Richmond	3,714	3,028	686	81.5%
45	Redbridge	5,764	4,692	1,072	81.4%
46	Barnet	8,299	6,703	1,596	80.8%
47	Wirral	252	203	49	80.6%
48	Eastleigh	355	283	72	79.7%
49	South Gloucestershire	703	560	143	79.7%
50	Bromley	4,046	3,222	824	79.6%
51	Castle Point	259	206	53	79.5%
52	Liverpool	682	542	140	79.5%
53	Lewisham	2,647	2,098	549	79.3%
54	Newham	2,024	1,591	433	78.6%
55	Hackney	785	613	172	78.1%
56	Lambeth	3,562	2,779	783	78.0%
57	Waltham Forest	4,720	3,679	1,041	77.9%
58	Bexley	350	272	78	77.7%
59	Thurrock	1,289	997	292	77.3%
60	Havering	2,315	1,784	531	77.1%
61	Croydon	2,696	2,054	642	76.2%
62	Guildford	782	593	189	75.8%
63	Kingston	4,065	3,065	1,000	75.4%
64	East Hertfordshire	958	721	237	75.3%
65	Tower Hamlets	1,272	954	318	75.0%
66	Hillingdon	487	362	125	74.3%
67	Birmingham	792	587	205	74.1%
68	Brent	4,278	3,134	1,144	73.3%
69	Brentwood	545	390	155	71.6%
70	Enfield	485	344	141	70.9%
71	Greenwich	2,580	1,742	838	67.5%
72	Islington	6,045	4,062	1,983	67.2%
73	Barking & Dagenham	257	118	139	45.9%

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What the data tells us

Where you live changes everything. The gap between the best council (Wakefield, 95.7%) and the worst (Barking & Dagenham, 45.9%) is 49.8%. Same project, completely different odds.

23,215 loft conversion applications have been refused since 2020. Each one cost the homeowner time and money. Most of those refusals were predictable from the local data.

National averages hide local variation. Your council rate is useful context. Your ward rate is better. But the comparable decisions near your specific property are the only real predictor of your outcome.

Loft Conversion Approval Rates Across the UK

Check Your Postcode for Approval Chances

10 Best Councils for Loft Conversions

10 Hardest Councils for Loft Conversions

Your council's approval rate is just the starting point

All 73 Councils Ranked for Loft Conversions

What the data tells us

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

More national planning data