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

Across 60 councils and 127,454 decisions, the average approval rate is 82.7%. But rates vary enormously by council and location.

Which council has the highest loft conversion approval rate?

North Tyneside at 94.6% based on 405 decisions.

How many loft conversion applications get refused?

Of 127,454 decisions nationally, 22,417 were refused. That is roughly 1 in 6 applications.

Loft Conversion — What Are Your Chances? UK Approval Rates (March 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	North Tyneside	405	22	94.6%
2	Warwick	366	22	94.0%
3	Mid Sussex	329	22	93.3%
4	Newcastle upon Tyne	256	18	93.0%
5	Cheltenham	404	30	92.6%
6	Adur & Worthing	899	68	92.4%
7	Hammersmith & Fulham	2,790	219	92.2%
8	Bath & NE Somerset	1,100	94	91.5%
9	Wandsworth	4,304	373	91.3%
10	Oxford	341	32	90.6%

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	Barking & Dagenham	256	127	50.4%
2	Islington	6,049	1,984	67.2%
3	Greenwich	2,547	824	67.6%
4	Enfield	453	134	70.4%
5	Brentwood	534	151	71.7%
6	Brent	4,236	1,133	73.3%
7	Hillingdon	475	125	73.7%
8	Birmingham	791	205	74.1%
9	East Hertfordshire	919	234	74.5%
10	Tower Hamlets	1,264	318	74.8%

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All 60 Councils Ranked for Loft Conversions

#	Council	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	North Tyneside	405	383	22	94.6%
2	Warwick	366	344	22	94.0%
3	Mid Sussex	329	307	22	93.3%
4	Newcastle upon Tyne	256	238	18	93.0%
5	Cheltenham	404	374	30	92.6%
6	Adur & Worthing	899	831	68	92.4%
7	Hammersmith & Fulham	2,790	2,571	219	92.2%
8	Bath & NE Somerset	1,100	1,006	94	91.5%
9	Wandsworth	4,304	3,931	373	91.3%
10	Oxford	341	309	32	90.6%
11	North Somerset	606	548	58	90.4%
12	Merton	3,839	3,453	386	89.9%
13	Hounslow	12,007	10,774	1,233	89.7%
14	Bradford	857	766	91	89.4%
15	Windsor & Maidenhead	253	226	27	89.3%
16	Bristol	2,661	2,357	304	88.6%
17	Westminster	2,936	2,602	334	88.6%
18	Southwark	2,067	1,828	239	88.4%
19	Trafford	472	416	56	88.1%
20	Runnymede	681	596	85	87.5%
21	Rushcliffe	374	327	47	87.4%
22	Slough	590	513	77	86.9%
23	Kensington & Chelsea	1,827	1,579	248	86.4%
24	Ealing	12,650	10,916	1,734	86.3%
25	Tonbridge & Malling	372	321	51	86.3%
26	Haringey	2,262	1,949	313	86.2%
27	Reigate & Banstead	728	627	101	86.1%
28	Thanet	817	703	114	86.0%
29	Camden	1,415	1,214	201	85.8%
30	Exeter	254	218	36	85.8%
31	Epsom & Ewell	774	652	122	84.2%
32	Leeds	707	585	122	82.7%
33	Redbridge	5,851	4,789	1,062	81.8%
34	Sevenoaks	478	391	87	81.8%
35	Richmond	3,724	3,038	686	81.6%
36	Hackney	2,342	1,903	439	81.3%
37	Barnet	8,125	6,574	1,551	80.9%
38	Bromley	4,048	3,224	824	79.6%
39	Liverpool	682	542	140	79.5%
40	South Gloucestershire	691	549	142	79.5%
41	Lewisham	2,555	2,025	530	79.3%
42	Newham	1,990	1,567	423	78.7%
43	Lambeth	3,494	2,733	761	78.2%
44	Waltham Forest	4,503	3,521	982	78.2%
45	Bexley	326	252	74	77.3%
46	Havering	2,355	1,821	534	77.3%
47	Thurrock	1,266	974	292	76.9%
48	Croydon	2,549	1,933	616	75.8%
49	Guildford	752	565	187	75.1%
50	Kingston	3,856	2,883	973	74.8%
51	Tower Hamlets	1,264	946	318	74.8%
52	East Hertfordshire	919	685	234	74.5%
53	Birmingham	791	586	205	74.1%
54	Hillingdon	475	350	125	73.7%
55	Brent	4,236	3,103	1,133	73.3%
56	Brentwood	534	383	151	71.7%
57	Enfield	453	319	134	70.4%
58	Greenwich	2,547	1,723	824	67.6%
59	Islington	6,049	4,065	1,984	67.2%
60	Barking & Dagenham	256	129	127	50.4%

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What the data tells us

Where you live changes everything. The gap between the best council (North Tyneside, 94.6%) and the worst (Barking & Dagenham, 50.4%) is 44.2%. Same project, completely different odds.

22,417 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 60 Councils Ranked for Loft Conversions

What the data tells us

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

More national planning data