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

Across 80 councils and 145,298 decisions, the average approval rate is 83.8%. But rates vary enormously by council and location.

Which council has the highest loft conversion approval rate?

West Suffolk at 95.9% based on 266 decisions.

How many loft conversion applications get refused?

Of 145,298 decisions nationally, 24,971 were refused. That is roughly 1 in 6 applications.

Loft Conversion: What Are Your Chances? UK Approval Rates (August 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	West Suffolk	266	11	95.9%
2	Wakefield	259	11	95.8%
3	North Tyneside	439	23	94.8%
4	Warwick	377	22	94.2%
5	Dorset	305	18	94.1%
6	Cornwall	441	31	93.0%
7	Mid Sussex	369	26	93.0%
8	Cheltenham	415	30	92.8%
9	City of Edinburgh	791	57	92.8%
10	Hammersmith & Fulham	2,831	220	92.2%

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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	6,059	1,988	67.2%
3	Greenwich	2,671	859	67.8%
4	Enfield	498	148	70.3%
5	Brentwood	549	155	71.8%
6	Cardiff	252	70	72.2%
7	Brent	4,278	1,143	73.3%
8	Birmingham	792	205	74.1%
9	Hillingdon	498	128	74.3%
10	Tower Hamlets	1,284	320	75.1%

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All 80 Councils Ranked for Loft Conversions

#	Council	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	West Suffolk	266	255	11	95.9%
2	Wakefield	259	248	11	95.8%
3	North Tyneside	439	416	23	94.8%
4	Warwick	377	355	22	94.2%
5	Dorset	305	287	18	94.1%
6	Cornwall	441	410	31	93.0%
7	Mid Sussex	369	343	26	93.0%
8	Cheltenham	415	385	30	92.8%
9	City of Edinburgh	791	734	57	92.8%
10	Hammersmith & Fulham	2,831	2,611	220	92.2%
11	Newcastle upon Tyne	317	292	25	92.1%
12	Bath & NE Somerset	1,100	1,006	94	91.5%
13	Bury	271	248	23	91.5%
14	Cambridge	364	333	31	91.5%
15	Wandsworth	4,526	4,135	391	91.4%
16	Wiltshire	2,630	2,396	234	91.1%
17	North Somerset	624	565	59	90.5%
18	Oxford	376	340	36	90.4%
19	Watford	657	594	63	90.4%
20	Solihull	251	226	25	90.0%
21	Merton	3,906	3,513	393	89.9%
22	Hounslow	12,130	10,878	1,252	89.7%
23	Bradford	910	815	95	89.6%
24	Peterborough	258	230	28	89.1%
25	Southwark	2,188	1,943	245	88.8%
26	Windsor & Maidenhead	290	257	33	88.6%
27	Bristol	2,760	2,442	318	88.5%
28	Westminster	3,046	2,692	354	88.4%
29	Trafford	472	416	56	88.1%
30	Rushcliffe	388	341	47	87.9%
31	Ealing	12,552	11,010	1,542	87.7%
32	Slough	1,166	1,020	146	87.5%
33	Adur & Worthing	1,775	1,551	224	87.4%
34	Runnymede	694	605	89	87.2%
35	Tonbridge & Malling	312	272	40	87.2%
36	Warrington	358	311	47	86.9%
37	Haringey	2,359	2,042	317	86.6%
38	Camden	1,580	1,366	214	86.5%
39	Exeter	269	232	37	86.2%
40	Kensington & Chelsea	1,803	1,555	248	86.2%
41	Thanet	817	703	114	86.0%
42	Cheshire East	267	229	38	85.8%
43	Hastings	261	224	37	85.8%
44	Reigate & Banstead	770	659	111	85.6%
45	Dartford	263	224	39	85.2%
46	Epsom & Ewell	841	708	133	84.2%
47	Leeds	732	603	129	82.4%
48	Sevenoaks	478	391	87	81.8%
49	Richmond	3,740	3,054	686	81.7%
50	Redbridge	5,808	4,734	1,074	81.5%
51	Hackney	2,538	2,059	479	81.1%
52	Wirral	261	211	50	80.8%
53	Barnet	8,411	6,783	1,628	80.6%
54	South Gloucestershire	727	583	144	80.2%
55	Bromley	4,045	3,222	823	79.7%
56	Eastleigh	355	283	72	79.7%
57	Liverpool	682	542	140	79.5%
58	Castle Point	262	208	54	79.4%
59	Lewisham	2,676	2,121	555	79.3%
60	Newham	2,076	1,629	447	78.5%
61	Bexley	364	285	79	78.3%
62	Thurrock	1,333	1,041	292	78.1%
63	Waltham Forest	4,813	3,757	1,056	78.1%
64	Lambeth	3,574	2,789	785	78.0%
65	Havering	2,379	1,840	539	77.3%
66	Elmbridge	4,249	3,255	994	76.6%
67	Croydon	2,751	2,104	647	76.5%
68	Guildford	795	604	191	76.0%
69	Kingston	4,095	3,096	999	75.6%
70	East Hertfordshire	972	733	239	75.4%
71	Tower Hamlets	1,284	964	320	75.1%
72	Hillingdon	498	370	128	74.3%
73	Birmingham	792	587	205	74.1%
74	Brent	4,278	3,135	1,143	73.3%
75	Cardiff	252	182	70	72.2%
76	Brentwood	549	394	155	71.8%
77	Enfield	498	350	148	70.3%
78	Greenwich	2,671	1,812	859	67.8%
79	Islington	6,059	4,071	1,988	67.2%
80	Barking & Dagenham	257	118	139	45.9%

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

What the data tells us

Where you live changes everything. The gap between the best council (West Suffolk, 95.9%) and the worst (Barking & Dagenham, 45.9%) is 50.0%. Same project, completely different odds.

24,971 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 80 Councils Ranked for Loft Conversions

What the data tells us

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

More national planning data