Data-backed planning intelligence · 2,650,000+ decisions analysed across England, Scotland and Wales

UK Planning Approval Rates: 238 Councils Ranked

Which councils approve the most planning applications? And which refuse the most? We ranked every council in our database.

2,671,124 real planning decisions·Updated May 2026
238
Councils analysed
2,671,124
Total decisions
90.1%
Average rate
50
Wards covered

Council averages are just the starting point

Your ward, application type, and proposal details all affect outcomes.

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Highest Planning Approval Rates

These councils approve the highest proportion of planning applications. A high council-wide rate does not guarantee your application will succeed — ward and proposal type matter enormously.

CouncilDecisionsRate
Dacorum1,135
99.7%
Fareham2,490
99.1%
Aberdeenshire1,022
98.8%
Mansfield2,946
98.8%
City of London9,789
98.7%
North Ayrshire999
98.7%
Somerset553
98.7%
LLDC3,226
98.6%
Mid Devon5,869
98.6%
Falkirk545
98.5%

Lowest Planning Approval Rates

These councils have the toughest track records. If your property falls in one of these areas, professional pre-application advice is strongly recommended.

CouncilDecisionsRate
East Hertfordshire16,563
73.2%
Maldon3,963
75.3%
Brent32,531
76.0%
Greenwich22,217
78.1%
Bradford26,787
78.8%
Hillingdon30,009
78.9%
Redbridge33,149
79.0%
Waltham Forest21,278
79.1%
Havering23,213
79.3%
Barking & Dagenham9,122
79.3%

Council averages hide what actually matters

Your ward, application type, and proposal details all affect outcomes. Get a personalised score for your specific postcode.

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All 238 Councils Ranked by Approval Rate

#CouncilApprovedRefusedTotalRate
1Dacorum1,13231,135
99.7%
2Fareham2,468222,490
99.1%
3Aberdeenshire1,010121,022
98.8%
4Mansfield2,911352,946
98.8%
5City of London9,6651249,789
98.7%
6North Ayrshire98613999
98.7%
7Somerset5467553
98.7%
8LLDC3,182443,226
98.6%
9Mid Devon5,789805,869
98.6%
10Falkirk5378545
98.5%
11Monmouthshire1,329211,350
98.4%
12Shetland6,168996,267
98.4%
13Moray1,131191,150
98.3%
14Clackmannanshire94817965
98.2%
15Harlow2,446512,497
98.0%
16Dumfries & Galloway22,02853022,558
97.7%
17Gosport1,490361,526
97.6%
18OPDC1,197331,230
97.3%
19Carlisle4,0951244,219
97.1%
20South Lanarkshire25,04681225,858
96.9%
21South Norfolk3,6121193,731
96.8%
22Hambleton3,8861414,027
96.5%
23Rushmoor4,0131444,157
96.5%
24Angus13,34254613,888
96.1%
25Orkney7,6153187,933
96.0%
26Cheltenham13,04755313,600
95.9%
27Huntingdonshire3,9691684,137
95.9%
28Melton3,4941533,647
95.8%
29Argyll & Bute3,5771613,738
95.7%
30Midlothian91041951
95.7%
31Cotswold22,0991,00923,108
95.6%
32East Ayrshire1,063491,112
95.6%
33Lincoln6,4633186,781
95.3%
34South Ribble3,8971934,090
95.3%
35South Tyneside3,0841513,235
95.3%
36Stirling11,60158112,182
95.2%
37Stockton-on-Tees2,0541042,158
95.2%
38Bolsover1,9431002,043
95.1%
39Canterbury9,96252210,484
95.0%
40County Durham13,65772014,377
95.0%
41Winchester6,1843316,515
94.9%
42Broxtowe4,3382434,581
94.7%
43Tamworth5,4913075,798
94.7%
44East Lindsey6,4283676,795
94.6%
45North Norfolk1,8991092,008
94.6%
46North Northamptonshire4,0082304,238
94.6%
47Knowsley4,0442364,280
94.5%
48North York Moors2,9591713,130
94.5%
49Perth & Kinross20,8771,22322,100
94.5%
50Highland1,8761111,987
94.4%
51North Tyneside5,4013185,719
94.4%
52South Holland1,220731,293
94.4%
53West Lancashire6,1723646,536
94.4%
54Aberdeen20,2171,23121,448
94.3%
55Swindon3,6852233,908
94.3%
56West Oxfordshire6,0673686,435
94.3%
57Broadland3,1521963,348
94.1%
58Dundee9,73760610,343
94.1%
59Mid Sussex7,3474727,819
94.0%
60North East Lincolnshire2,8531833,036
94.0%
61Rugby5,7673686,135
94.0%
62Cornwall5,8333796,212
93.9%
63Yorkshire Dales NPA3,9132554,168
93.9%
64Gateshead6,7154417,156
93.8%
65Stevenage3,3812253,606
93.8%
66Derbyshire Dales3,6252443,869
93.7%
67Newcastle-under-Lyme49333526
93.7%
68Arun2,8371953,032
93.6%
69Nottingham5,8744046,278
93.6%
70Wandsworth24,5531,70826,261
93.5%
71Derby3,7302653,995
93.4%
72Bath & NE Somerset34,3412,47836,819
93.3%
73Lancaster3,7452694,014
93.3%
74Southwark26,7601,91528,675
93.3%
75Adur & Worthing12,84893813,786
93.2%
76Chorley3,2712383,509
93.2%
77Dover6,2944616,755
93.2%
78King's Lynn & West Norfolk1,8751362,011
93.2%
79South Downs9,79871310,511
93.2%
80Torridge7,4745468,020
93.2%
81Bromsgrove & Redditch1,7391291,868
93.1%
82Newcastle upon Tyne8,1826038,785
93.1%
83Plymouth6,0934576,550
93.0%
84Three Rivers2,8012113,012
93.0%
85Sandwell5,9044506,354
92.9%
86Solihull4,0943124,406
92.9%
87Blaby2,1221662,288
92.7%
88Rotherham2,3211822,503
92.7%
89Norwich7,5746058,179
92.6%
90Kensington & Chelsea30,6712,50433,175
92.5%
91Dorset7,6356328,267
92.4%
92Telford & Wrekin13,9081,14315,051
92.4%
93Torfaen4,2443484,592
92.4%
94Babergh Mid Suffolk4,1483474,495
92.3%
95Gedling3,8693254,194
92.3%
96Camden17,8461,52719,373
92.1%
97Hammersmith & Fulham17,8371,52019,357
92.1%
98Exmoor NPA1,6821461,828
92.0%
99Cheshire West & Chester14,7501,30416,054
91.9%
100Darlington2,1081932,301
91.6%
101Hinckley & Bosworth3,4383163,754
91.6%
102Lewes & Eastbourne1,7821661,948
91.5%
103Oxford5,0104675,477
91.5%
104Doncaster10,34397211,315
91.4%
105Stroud8,4307939,223
91.4%
106Rutland19,4601,86221,322
91.3%
107Bury4,4654314,896
91.2%
108Horsham11,2821,09012,372
91.2%
109Lake District NPA7,1826907,872
91.2%
110Test Valley5,0704885,558
91.2%
111Great Yarmouth2,2012172,418
91.0%
112Tewkesbury5,8305806,410
91.0%
113Rossendale41241453
90.9%
114Sheffield5,5975686,165
90.8%
115Tendring28729316
90.8%
116Westminster55,1355,56360,698
90.8%
117Fife4,8284935,321
90.7%
118Southampton913941,007
90.7%
119West Lothian12,1791,24413,423
90.7%
120Forest of Dean5,4795676,046
90.6%
121East Cambridgeshire9,8851,04310,928
90.5%
122Exeter6,1066446,750
90.5%
123Pembrokeshire Coast NPA2,6882812,969
90.5%
124Spelthorne64968717
90.5%
125Surrey Heath3,6413804,021
90.5%
126Cambridge5,2185525,770
90.4%
127Chesterfield4,3394614,800
90.4%
128North East Derbyshire5,7856216,406
90.3%
129York9,8271,05010,877
90.3%
130Luton2,9173183,235
90.2%
131North Somerset17,4311,89919,330
90.2%
132Basildon52157578
90.1%
133South Ayrshire32836364
90.1%
134Tonbridge & Malling7,1607907,950
90.1%
135Barnsley22,1582,45824,616
90.0%
136Newport4,3424824,824
90.0%
137Cannock Chase2,2982582,556
89.9%
138Chichester2,4352742,709
89.9%
139Basingstoke & Deane9,9201,12911,049
89.8%
140Brighton & Hove2,8393243,163
89.8%
141City of Edinburgh30,9833,52134,504
89.8%
142Powys6,3017127,013
89.8%
143Wakefield11,3091,29212,601
89.7%
144Warwick11,2941,30012,594
89.7%
145Wigan4,2614974,758
89.6%
146Dudley11,6991,38413,083
89.4%
147Kingston upon Hull5,5006526,152
89.4%
148Maidstone37345418
89.2%
149Swale37145416
89.2%
150Blackburn with Darwen11,1431,38312,526
89.0%
151Cheshire East11,2531,39012,643
89.0%
152Tower Hamlets23,4062,89026,296
89.0%
153Rushcliffe6,6348367,470
88.8%
154Liverpool42,5595,47748,036
88.6%
155Oldham6,0607766,836
88.6%
156Reigate & Banstead11,7711,51613,287
88.6%
157Sunderland9,2831,19910,482
88.6%
158Portsmouth8,1521,0629,214
88.5%
159Haringey20,7522,73623,488
88.4%
160Dartford6,2638397,102
88.2%
161Isle of Wight12,4281,67014,098
88.2%
162Trafford11,7251,57013,295
88.2%
163Glasgow34,6924,66739,359
88.1%
164Medway9,0771,22510,302
88.1%
165Ceredigion32,8894,52337,412
87.9%
166Epsom & Ewell7,1579828,139
87.9%
167Manchester12,0851,66513,750
87.9%
168Bolton3,2954583,753
87.8%
169Hounslow63,3478,84872,195
87.7%
170New Forest7,8401,1008,940
87.7%
171Calderdale11,6151,63913,254
87.6%
172Sefton5,6448096,453
87.5%
173Newark & Sherwood8,7101,2569,966
87.4%
174Richmond28,2134,10332,316
87.3%
175Runnymede11,6771,71013,387
87.2%
176Tameside3,0184473,465
87.1%
177Thanet23,5163,49327,009
87.1%
178Bristol21,3043,22524,529
86.9%
179South Gloucestershire13,2832,00215,285
86.9%
180Sevenoaks11,0081,67912,687
86.8%
181Castle Point2,1683322,500
86.7%
182Hackney16,1282,50618,634
86.6%
183Leeds38,6475,96844,615
86.6%
184Dartmoor NPA3,6675774,244
86.4%
185Gravesham47575550
86.4%
186Hastings5,0707995,869
86.4%
187Pendle2,8444463,290
86.4%
188Flintshire5,1158155,930
86.3%
189Kirklees25,5714,04829,619
86.3%
190Swansea2,4743992,873
86.1%
191Ealing58,1189,44967,567
86.0%
192Merton15,0892,46817,557
85.9%
193Chelmsford43372505
85.7%
194Hart8,5291,4419,970
85.5%
195Buckinghamshire21,7843,75425,538
85.3%
196Windsor & Maidenhead5,6019746,575
85.2%
197Gloucester3,4546034,057
85.1%
198Hertsmere2,6344603,094
85.1%
199Bexley17,4733,09920,572
84.9%
200Lichfield2,1943892,583
84.9%
201Blackpool46985554
84.7%
202Newham17,7143,19320,907
84.7%
203Lambeth25,7284,69430,422
84.6%
204Bassetlaw3,7236814,404
84.5%
205Sutton14,5982,80917,407
83.9%
206Birmingham27,7595,35233,111
83.8%
207Brentwood9,7541,88611,640
83.8%
208Coventry1,5993101,909
83.8%
209Leicester44890538
83.3%
210Caerphilly1,6183261,944
83.2%
211Middlesbrough2,8365763,412
83.1%
212Selby4,7059645,669
83.0%
213Lewisham20,1924,17524,367
82.9%
214Islington70,55314,67685,229
82.8%
215Oadby & Wigston1,7873722,159
82.8%
216Slough5,6951,2336,928
82.2%
217Cardiff3,5757924,367
81.9%
218Barnet43,6969,71953,415
81.8%
219Guildford13,8683,10416,972
81.7%
220Wyre32976405
81.2%
221Bromley29,3026,91036,212
80.9%
222Croydon31,0667,36938,435
80.8%
223Pembrokeshire4,7571,1385,895
80.7%
224Harrow10,1602,44012,600
80.6%
225Kingston18,5994,64023,239
80.0%
226Thurrock8,4992,11910,618
80.0%
227Enfield23,8046,02229,826
79.8%
228Southend-on-Sea466121587
79.4%
229Barking & Dagenham7,2311,8919,122
79.3%
230Havering18,4064,80723,213
79.3%
231Waltham Forest16,8314,44721,278
79.1%
232Redbridge26,1796,97033,149
79.0%
233Hillingdon23,6636,34630,009
78.9%
234Bradford21,0985,68926,787
78.8%
235Greenwich17,3554,86222,217
78.1%
236Brent24,7237,80832,531
76.0%
237Maldon2,9849793,963
75.3%
238East Hertfordshire12,1214,44216,563
73.2%

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About This Data: Rankings are based on 2,671,124 real planning decisions scraped from council planning portals across England, Scotland and Wales. Approval rates reflect the proportion of decided applications that were approved. Withdrawn applications and procedural outcomes are excluded. For full details, see our methodology →
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