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

Across 77 councils and 142,889 decisions, the average approval rate is 84.9%. 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 142,889 decisions nationally, 24,326 were refused. That is roughly 1 in 6 applications.

Loft Conversion: What Are Your Chances? UK Approval Rates (September 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	260	11	95.8%
3	Winchester	251	12	95.2%
4	Horsham	250	13	94.8%
5	North Tyneside	445	23	94.8%
6	Cambridge	545	31	94.3%
7	Warwick	383	22	94.3%
8	Dorset	307	18	94.1%
9	Cornwall	453	31	93.2%
10	New Forest	252	18	92.9%

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

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	Islington	6,079	1,988	67.3%
2	Greenwich	2,694	865	67.9%
3	Enfield	506	152	70.0%
4	Brentwood	562	168	70.1%
5	Brent	4,278	1,143	73.3%
6	Hillingdon	499	128	74.3%
7	Tower Hamlets	1,290	321	75.1%
8	East Hertfordshire	988	242	75.5%
9	Kingston	4,161	1,007	75.8%
10	Guildford	802	191	76.2%

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

All 77 Councils Ranked for Loft Conversions

#	Council	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	West Suffolk	266	255	11	95.9%
2	Wakefield	260	249	11	95.8%
3	Winchester	251	239	12	95.2%
4	Horsham	250	237	13	94.8%
5	North Tyneside	445	422	23	94.8%
6	Cambridge	545	514	31	94.3%
7	Warwick	383	361	22	94.3%
8	Dorset	307	289	18	94.1%
9	Cornwall	453	422	31	93.2%
10	New Forest	252	234	18	92.9%
11	Cheltenham	416	386	30	92.8%
12	Mid Sussex	380	352	28	92.6%
13	Hammersmith & Fulham	2,848	2,628	220	92.3%
14	Newcastle upon Tyne	322	296	26	91.9%
15	Bath & NE Somerset	1,100	1,006	94	91.5%
16	Wandsworth	4,597	4,195	402	91.3%
17	Wiltshire	2,630	2,396	234	91.1%
18	Bury	279	254	25	91.0%
19	North Somerset	628	568	60	90.4%
20	Watford	673	607	66	90.2%
21	Merton	3,943	3,548	395	90.0%
22	Hounslow	12,178	10,918	1,260	89.7%
23	Bradford	923	827	96	89.6%
24	Oxford	400	358	42	89.5%
25	Peterborough	259	231	28	89.2%
26	Solihull	260	232	28	89.2%
27	Southwark	2,209	1,962	247	88.8%
28	Ealing	12,110	10,707	1,403	88.4%
29	Westminster	3,080	2,724	356	88.4%
30	Bristol	2,811	2,483	328	88.3%
31	Cheshire East	321	283	38	88.2%
32	Rushcliffe	395	348	47	88.1%
33	Trafford	472	416	56	88.1%
34	Slough	1,176	1,029	147	87.5%
35	Windsor & Maidenhead	301	263	38	87.4%
36	Tonbridge & Malling	314	274	40	87.3%
37	Runnymede	694	605	89	87.2%
38	Warrington	364	317	47	87.1%
39	Haringey	2,383	2,063	320	86.6%
40	Camden	1,598	1,382	216	86.5%
41	Exeter	276	238	38	86.2%
42	Kensington & Chelsea	1,803	1,555	248	86.2%
43	Hastings	264	227	37	86.0%
44	Dartford	272	233	39	85.7%
45	Reigate & Banstead	785	672	113	85.6%
46	Epsom & Ewell	863	726	137	84.1%
47	Eastleigh	447	375	72	83.9%
48	Leeds	741	609	132	82.2%
49	Richmond	3,774	3,088	686	81.8%
50	Sevenoaks	478	391	87	81.8%
51	Redbridge	5,877	4,791	1,086	81.5%
52	Hackney	2,556	2,075	481	81.2%
53	Barking & Dagenham	1,097	888	209	80.9%
54	Barnet	8,503	6,862	1,641	80.7%
55	South Gloucestershire	742	594	148	80.1%
56	Bromley	4,045	3,222	823	79.7%
57	Castle Point	264	210	54	79.5%
58	Lewisham	2,701	2,142	559	79.3%
59	Newham	2,126	1,673	453	78.7%
60	Bexley	366	287	79	78.4%
61	Thurrock	1,344	1,052	292	78.3%
62	Waltham Forest	4,865	3,804	1,061	78.2%
63	Lambeth	3,623	2,826	797	78.0%
64	Wirral	274	213	61	77.7%
65	Havering	2,419	1,876	543	77.6%
66	Croydon	2,770	2,121	649	76.6%
67	Elmbridge	4,279	3,279	1,000	76.6%
68	Guildford	802	611	191	76.2%
69	Kingston	4,161	3,154	1,007	75.8%
70	East Hertfordshire	988	746	242	75.5%
71	Tower Hamlets	1,290	969	321	75.1%
72	Hillingdon	499	371	128	74.3%
73	Brent	4,278	3,135	1,143	73.3%
74	Brentwood	562	394	168	70.1%
75	Enfield	506	354	152	70.0%
76	Greenwich	2,694	1,829	865	67.9%
77	Islington	6,079	4,091	1,988	67.3%

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 (Islington, 67.3%) is 28.6%. Same project, completely different odds.

24,326 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 77 Councils Ranked for Loft Conversions

What the data tells us

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

More national planning data