Data-backed planning intelligence · 3,780,000+ decisions analysed across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Planning Approval Rates by Ward: Why Your Postcode Matters

Council-wide approval rates are useful context. But they hide the real story. Within a single council, the gap between the easiest and hardest ward can be bigger than the gap between the easiest and hardest council in the entire country.

3,704,030 real planning decisions·242 councils·Updated August 2026
93.0%
Biggest ward gap
12.7%
Average ward gap
242
Councils analysed
3,704,030
Total decisions

Check Your Postcode for Approval Chances

See your council's approval rate, your ward data and comparable decisions near your property.

Check My Postcode

Councils With the Biggest Ward Gaps

These councils have the most dramatic variation between their best and worst performing wards. If you live in one of these areas, your postcode isn't just relevant, it's the single biggest factor in whether your application succeeds.

#CouncilBest WardWorst WardGap
1GreenwichCHARLTON (97.8%)ELTHAM PAGE (60.4%)37.4%
2HaveringGOOSHAYS (99.2%)St Albans (62.8%)36.4%
3LiverpoolWaterfront South (98.4%)Kensington & Fairfield (62.0%)36.4%
4BrentDUDDEN HILL (99.3%)Harlesden - WARD NO LONGER EXISTS (64.5%)34.8%
5CardiffGRANGETOWN (87.0%)LLANISHEN (54.8%)32.2%
6LewishamEVELYN (99.5%)Whitefoot (67.5%)32.0%
7East HertfordshireWare Trinity (89.2%)Datchworth And Aston (58.1%)31.1%
8BromleyADJ_LA (99.2%)DARWIN (69.1%)30.1%
9LambethPRINCE'S (98.5%)GIPSYH (68.8%)29.7%
10MertonVILLAGE (98.4%)Cricket Green (70.5%)27.9%
11KingstonNORBITON (97.3%)Tolworth (70.7%)26.6%
12GloucesterGrange (92.6%)Barton & Tredworth (66.7%)25.9%
13PembrokeshireHaverfordwest: Portfield (93.4%)Kilgetty And Begelly (68.4%)25.0%
14HackneyCAZENOVE (99.2%)Stamford Hill West Ward (74.3%)24.9%
15SevenoaksSevenoaks Kippington (92.8%)Crockenhill & Well Hill (68.2%)24.6%
16NewhamCANNING TOWN NORTH (99.6%)PLASHT (75.1%)24.5%
17RedbridgeCLEMENTSWOOD (96.9%)Cranbrook (72.4%)24.5%
18ElmbridgeAdj Neighbouring Authority (95.5%)Weybridge Riverside Ward (71.1%)24.4%
19TraffordDavyhulme East (94.5%)Old Trafford (70.1%)24.4%
20City of EdinburghNo Ward Number (98.4%)Leith Walk (74.1%)24.3%
Check which ward your property is in →

Your council's approval rate is just the starting point

Two streets in the same ward can get opposite outcomes. The only thing that predicts your result is what's been decided near your property.

Check My Postcode
The average ward gap across 242 councils is 12.7%. That means in a typical council, moving a few streets in one direction can shift your approval chances by 12.7%. Council averages don't capture this. Your postcode does.

All 242 Councils by Ward Variation

#CouncilGapBest Ward RateWorst Ward RateWards
1Greenwich37.4%97.8%60.4%41
2Havering36.4%99.2%62.8%41
3Liverpool36.4%98.4%62.0%56
4Brent34.8%99.3%64.5%43
5Cardiff32.2%87.0%54.8%13
6Lewisham32.0%99.5%67.5%35
7East Hertfordshire31.1%89.2%58.1%49
8Bromley30.1%99.2%69.1%52
9Lambeth29.7%98.5%68.8%66
10Merton27.9%98.4%70.5%54
11Kingston26.6%97.3%70.7%39
12Gloucester25.9%92.6%66.7%16
13Pembrokeshire25.0%93.4%68.4%55
14Hackney24.9%99.2%74.3%38
15Sevenoaks24.6%92.8%68.2%26
16Newham24.5%99.6%75.1%44
17Redbridge24.5%96.9%72.4%33
18Elmbridge24.4%95.5%71.1%39
19Trafford24.4%94.5%70.1%33
20City of Edinburgh24.3%98.4%74.1%35
21Ealing24.3%99.5%75.2%74
22Tower Hamlets23.8%99.5%75.7%38
23Barking & Dagenham23.3%86.4%63.1%22
24Basingstoke & Deane22.7%94.9%72.2%17
25Richmond22.7%99.4%76.7%54
26Caerphilly21.3%85.6%64.3%23
27Cheshire East20.5%92.5%72.0%47
28Haringey20.5%98.8%78.3%42
29Coventry19.7%92.7%73.0%15
30Rutland19.7%94.2%74.5%19
31Swansea19.0%91.1%72.1%11
32Bexley18.9%99.1%80.2%27
33Maldon18.9%83.5%64.6%14
34Gravesham18.5%87.4%68.9%7
35Oxford18.5%99.0%80.5%28
36Hillingdon18.1%87.3%69.2%43
37Windsor & Maidenhead17.9%90.6%72.7%19
38North East Derbyshire17.8%95.7%77.9%24
39Bolton17.7%92.7%75.0%21
40Eastleigh17.5%89.3%71.8%33
41Dorset17.4%98.1%80.7%55
42Wigan17.4%95.5%78.1%17
43Lancaster17.2%96.2%79.0%17
44Sunderland16.7%95.1%78.4%25
45Lichfield16.6%93.6%77.0%12
46Hinckley & Bosworth16.5%98.6%82.1%16
47Leeds16.3%94.1%77.8%33
48Middlesbrough16.3%95.3%79.0%20
49Camden16.1%98.3%82.2%48
50Powys15.8%96.0%80.2%37
51Gwynedd15.7%95.8%80.1%48
52Hammersmith & Fulham15.7%99.7%84.0%41
53Sefton15.3%92.8%77.5%21
54Newport15.2%94.0%78.8%18
55Bradford15.1%85.6%70.5%30
56Newark & Sherwood15.1%94.0%78.9%21
57Flintshire15.0%95.7%80.7%44
58Spelthorne15.0%91.9%76.9%10
59Rhondda Cynon Taf14.9%99.1%84.2%24
60Dartford14.8%95.5%80.7%19
61Guildford14.6%91.5%76.9%21
62Sheffield14.6%95.6%81.0%22
63Dudley14.5%96.4%81.9%48
64North Yorkshire14.5%95.7%81.2%18
65Warwick14.5%96.3%81.8%22
66Wandsworth14.4%99.8%85.4%52
67Cornwall14.1%98.8%84.7%79
68Kingston upon Hull14.1%93.8%79.7%21
69Barnsley14.0%96.3%82.3%24
70Darlington14.0%98.3%84.3%12
71Isle of Wight14.0%93.8%79.8%48
72Thurrock14.0%88.1%74.1%20
73Westmorland and Furness13.9%99.4%85.5%45
74Lake District NPA13.7%98.8%85.1%62
75Bath & NE Somerset13.6%97.9%84.3%41
76Broadland13.4%98.3%84.9%34
77Surrey Heath13.4%94.3%80.9%16
78East Hampshire13.2%96.7%83.5%22
79Bassetlaw13.0%90.1%77.1%23
80Tewkesbury12.9%96.5%83.6%19
81Wiltshire12.7%98.0%85.3%181
82King's Lynn & West Norfolk12.6%95.9%83.3%9
83Peterborough12.3%93.2%80.9%28
84Rushcliffe12.3%93.7%81.4%24
85Oldham12.2%94.5%82.3%20
86Test Valley12.2%95.5%83.3%18
87Brentwood12.1%90.0%77.9%17
88Southwark12.0%99.6%87.6%43
89Tameside11.8%92.3%80.5%19
90North West Leicestershire11.6%96.9%85.3%7
91Warrington11.6%91.9%80.3%23
92Blaby11.5%98.6%87.1%11
93East Riding of Yorkshire11.5%94.4%82.9%25
94Pendle11.5%91.4%79.9%12
95Torbay11.5%86.5%75.0%16
96Brighton & Hove11.4%95.0%83.6%13
97Calderdale11.4%93.0%81.6%17
98Harrow11.4%80.7%69.3%27
99North Tyneside11.4%99.1%87.7%27
100Waltham Forest11.4%81.7%70.3%24
101Wirral11.3%93.7%82.4%22
102Hertsmere11.2%92.8%81.6%16
103Slough11.2%87.2%76.0%9
104West Suffolk11.2%99.6%88.4%43
105Bristol11.1%90.4%79.3%34
106East Lindsey11.0%99.1%88.1%32
107Selby11.0%88.5%77.5%20
108East Cambridgeshire10.9%93.6%82.7%17
109North Hertfordshire10.8%99.1%88.3%8
110York10.8%96.9%86.1%21
111Three Rivers10.7%96.0%85.3%14
112South Downs10.6%99.2%88.6%34
113Chichester10.5%94.9%84.4%13
114Fife10.4%97.2%86.8%19
115Rugby10.4%97.4%87.0%16
116Watford10.4%94.5%84.1%12
117Babergh Mid Suffolk10.3%97.2%86.9%50
118Derby10.3%98.1%87.8%17
119Tonbridge & Malling10.3%96.2%85.9%27
120Chorley10.2%96.3%86.1%23
121Highland10.2%99.4%89.2%11
122Kirklees10.2%90.3%80.1%23
123North East Lincolnshire10.2%97.7%87.5%12
124Castle Point10.1%89.6%79.5%15
125Maidstone10.1%85.0%74.9%6
126Newcastle-under-Lyme10.1%96.8%86.7%4
127Southend-on-Sea10.1%93.9%83.8%6
128Basildon10.0%95.5%85.5%7
129Solihull9.9%95.5%85.6%18
130Bury9.8%94.9%85.1%17
131Gedling9.8%97.9%88.1%17
132Midlothian9.8%97.8%88.0%6
133Pembrokeshire Coast National Park9.8%96.4%86.6%19
134Cambridge9.7%97.0%87.3%38
135Fenland9.6%93.2%83.6%21
136New Forest9.6%92.7%83.1%16
137North Somerset9.5%94.6%85.1%34
138Swindon9.5%99.6%90.1%15
139Exeter9.3%93.7%84.4%13
140Horsham9.3%97.6%88.3%22
141Kensington & Chelsea9.3%99.3%90.0%34
142South Kesteven9.3%98.1%88.8%29
143Carlisle9.2%99.3%90.1%16
144East Ayrshire9.2%98.4%89.2%7
145South Gloucestershire9.2%92.3%83.1%28
146Plymouth9.1%96.2%87.1%20
147Thanet9.1%94.3%85.2%23
148Bromsgrove & Redditch8.8%96.4%87.6%6
149Broxtowe8.8%97.2%88.4%19
150Forest of Dean8.8%95.1%86.3%19
151Hastings8.7%90.3%81.6%16
152Mid Sussex8.6%97.2%88.6%25
153Portsmouth8.5%91.8%83.3%14
154Stoke-on-Trent8.5%88.5%80.0%4
155Woking8.5%90.1%81.6%10
156Doncaster8.4%96.0%87.6%21
157Lewes & Eastbourne8.4%95.9%87.5%9
158Hart8.3%91.1%82.8%11
159Nottingham8.2%97.7%89.5%20
160West Oxfordshire8.1%97.8%89.7%25
161Derbyshire Dales7.9%96.1%88.2%15
162Glasgow7.9%93.3%85.4%23
163Luton7.9%90.4%82.5%18
164South Ribble7.9%99.0%91.1%16
165Cotswold7.8%99.0%91.2%30
166County Durham7.8%98.6%90.8%51
167Telford & Wrekin7.8%96.6%88.8%24
168Wakefield7.7%94.2%86.5%21
169West Lancashire7.7%98.1%90.4%27
170South Staffordshire7.6%90.5%82.9%6
171Stafford7.6%89.1%81.5%17
172Adur & Worthing7.5%93.8%86.3%27
173Cheltenham7.5%97.8%90.3%20
174Hambleton7.5%98.4%90.9%19
175Harborough7.4%95.6%88.2%17
176Huntingdonshire7.4%97.5%90.1%22
177Neath Port Talbot7.4%98.3%90.9%42
178Newcastle upon Tyne7.4%97.0%89.6%26
179Cannock Chase7.2%95.5%88.3%21
180Halton7.2%98.6%91.4%10
181Stockton-on-Tees7.2%99.3%92.1%10
182Rotherham7.0%97.2%90.2%9
183Oadby & Wigston6.9%85.8%78.9%10
184Winchester6.9%97.9%91.0%15
185Gateshead6.8%96.5%89.7%22
186Epsom & Ewell6.6%90.2%83.6%13
187Sandwell6.5%95.3%88.8%24
188Torridge6.3%96.9%90.6%15
189Angus6.2%97.5%91.3%11
190Argyll & Bute6.2%97.8%91.6%11
191Bolsover6.2%97.6%91.4%12
192Dover6.2%96.2%90.0%14
193South Ayrshire6.1%98.3%92.2%6
194Canterbury6.0%97.6%91.6%21
195East Dunbartonshire6.0%98.6%92.6%6
196Knowsley5.8%97.6%91.8%15
197South Norfolk5.8%98.1%92.3%27
198Lincoln5.7%98.3%92.6%11
199Melton5.7%98.3%92.6%15
200Reigate & Banstead5.7%92.2%86.5%15
201Torfaen5.7%95.4%89.7%11
202Aberdeenshire5.5%98.3%92.8%13
203Broads Authority5.4%98.1%92.7%8
204Norwich5.4%95.2%89.8%13
205North Norfolk5.2%99.1%93.9%9
206Perth & Kinross5.2%97.4%92.2%12
207West Lothian5.0%93.3%88.3%9
208Rushmoor4.8%99.0%94.2%13
209Stevenage4.8%96.3%91.5%13
210Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park4.6%95.3%90.7%8
211Renfrewshire4.4%98.4%94.0%12
212Mid Devon4.3%99.6%95.3%23
213Aberdeen3.9%96.4%92.5%13
214Gosport3.9%98.6%94.7%3
215Clackmannanshire3.8%99.0%95.2%4
216South Lanarkshire3.5%98.3%94.8%20
217Tendring3.1%93.4%90.3%4
218Mansfield3.0%99.4%96.4%7
219Dartmoor NPA2.9%88.9%86.0%3
220Dumfries & Galloway2.9%99.2%96.3%13
221Moray2.5%99.2%96.7%8
222Orkney2.4%97.7%95.3%6
223Dundee2.3%95.7%93.4%8
224Inverclyde2.3%97.4%95.1%4
225Shetland2.3%99.2%96.9%3
226Western Isles2.3%99.6%97.3%10
227Merthyr Tydfil2.1%92.6%90.5%6
228Monmouthshire1.9%98.1%96.2%5
229Mid Ulster District Council1.8%99.2%97.4%4
230North Ayrshire1.7%99.3%97.6%5
231Stirling1.6%96.1%94.5%7
232Dacorum1.2%99.4%98.2%3
233Falkirk0.7%99.2%98.5%6
Found your council? See what's happening at street level →

What the data tells us

1
Ward variation is often bigger than council variation. The gap between the UK's easiest and hardest councils might be 20 percentage points. The gap between wards within Islington alone is 93.0%.
2
Your postcode is the strongest predictor of outcome. Planning officers make decisions based on local character, precedent and neighbourhood context. Two identical proposals on different streets can get opposite outcomes.
3
National and council averages are starting points, not predictions. They tell you the landscape. The comparable decisions near your specific property tell you the story. That's what the PlanningLens free planning check is built to show you.

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

Your PlanningLens Full Planning Analysis analyses the decisions that actually matter, the ones within walking distance of your front door. Every decision links to the council record so you can verify it yourself.

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More national planning data

Methodology: Ward gaps calculated from 3,704,030 planning decisions across 242 councils, January 2020 to present. Only wards with 100+ decisions are included in gap calculations. Wards with 100% approval rates are excluded as likely small-sample anomalies. Councils with fewer than 500 total decisions are excluded. Ward boundaries reflect current electoral divisions as published by each council. See our full methodology →
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