Data-backed planning intelligence · 3,290,000+ 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.

3,209,628 real planning decisions·231 councils·Updated June 2026
93.0%
Biggest ward gap
12.7%
Average ward gap
231
Councils analysed
3,209,628
Total decisions

Check Your Postcode for Approval Chances

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

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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
1Islington8 (95.1%)48 (2.1%)93.0%
2GreenwichCHARLTON (97.8%)ELTHAM PAGE (60.6%)37.2%
3LiverpoolWaterfront South (98.4%)Kensington & Fairfield (62.0%)36.4%
4HaveringGOOSHAYS (99.2%)St Albans (63.2%)36.0%
5BrentDUDDEN HILL (99.3%)Harlesden - WARD NO LONGER EXISTS (64.5%)34.8%
6CardiffCATHAYS (85.3%)LLANISHEN (51.8%)33.5%
7Hounslow013609 (99.0%)Hounslow Central (65.5%)33.5%
8EnfieldSOUTHGATE GREEN (98.2%)LE (64.9%)33.3%
9LewishamEVELYN (99.5%)Whitefoot (67.5%)32.0%
10CroydonSELHURST (98.8%)SE18 (68.0%)30.8%
11BromleyADJ_LA (99.2%)DARWIN (69.0%)30.2%
12LambethPRINCE'S (98.5%)GIPSYH (68.3%)30.2%
13East HertfordshireBishop's Stortford Thorley Manor (87.4%)Datchworth And Aston (57.9%)29.5%
14BarnetGOLDERS GREEN (98.6%)BO (69.5%)29.1%
15MertonVILLAGE (98.4%)Cricket Green (69.3%)29.1%
16KingstonNORBITON (97.3%)Chessington South & Malden Rushett (70.3%)27.0%
17SuttonSUTTON CENTRAL (99.8%)B07 (73.5%)26.3%
18GloucesterGrange (92.5%)Barton & Tredworth (67.4%)25.1%
19NewhamCANNING TOWN NORTH (99.6%)PLASHT (74.8%)24.8%
20PembrokeshireHaverfordwest: Portfield (93.4%)Kilgetty And Begelly (68.8%)24.6%
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 231 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 231 Councils by Ward Variation

#CouncilGapBest Ward RateWorst Ward RateWards
1Islington93.0%95.1%2.1%41
2Greenwich37.2%97.8%60.6%41
3Liverpool36.4%98.4%62.0%56
4Havering36.0%99.2%63.2%41
5Brent34.8%99.3%64.5%43
6Cardiff33.5%85.3%51.8%12
7Hounslow33.5%99.0%65.5%69
8Enfield33.3%98.2%64.9%91
9Lewisham32.0%99.5%67.5%35
10Croydon30.8%98.8%68.0%50
11Bromley30.2%99.2%69.0%52
12Lambeth30.2%98.5%68.3%66
13East Hertfordshire29.5%87.4%57.9%48
14Barnet29.1%98.6%69.5%65
15Merton29.1%98.4%69.3%54
16Kingston27.0%97.3%70.3%39
17Sutton26.3%99.8%73.5%67
18Gloucester25.1%92.5%67.4%16
19Newham24.8%99.6%74.8%44
20Pembrokeshire24.6%93.4%68.8%55
21Sevenoaks24.6%92.8%68.2%26
22Redbridge24.5%96.9%72.4%33
23Trafford24.4%94.5%70.1%33
24City of Edinburgh24.3%98.4%74.1%35
25Tower Hamlets24.0%99.5%75.5%38
26Barking & Dagenham23.5%86.4%62.9%22
27Basingstoke & Deane22.9%94.9%72.0%17
28Richmond22.7%99.4%76.7%54
29Ealing22.6%99.5%76.9%74
30Cheshire East21.4%92.5%71.1%47
31Haringey21.4%98.8%77.4%42
32Caerphilly21.1%85.8%64.7%23
33Rutland19.8%94.2%74.4%19
34Windsor & Maidenhead19.8%91.9%72.1%19
35Manchester19.4%93.3%73.9%32
36Swansea19.4%91.4%72.0%11
37Bexley19.2%99.1%79.9%27
38Gravesham19.1%87.3%68.2%7
39Dorset18.6%98.1%79.5%45
40Maldon18.6%83.2%64.6%14
41Oxford18.5%98.9%80.4%27
42Hillingdon18.1%86.4%68.3%43
43Westminster18.1%99.8%81.7%83
44North East Derbyshire17.8%95.7%77.9%24
45Lichfield17.6%95.0%77.4%12
46Eastleigh17.5%89.3%71.8%33
47Hinckley & Bosworth16.6%98.6%82.0%16
48Sunderland16.6%95.0%78.4%25
49Bolton16.4%93.1%76.7%20
50Spelthorne16.4%92.3%75.9%7
51Camden16.1%98.3%82.2%48
52Leeds16.1%94.1%78.0%33
53Middlesbrough16.1%95.4%79.3%20
54Hammersmith & Fulham16.0%99.7%83.7%41
55Lancaster16.0%96.2%80.2%15
56Gwynedd15.7%95.8%80.1%48
57Newark & Sherwood15.5%93.8%78.3%21
58Sheffield15.5%95.4%79.9%21
59Coventry15.4%92.9%77.5%12
60Sefton15.3%92.0%76.7%21
61Flintshire15.2%95.7%80.5%44
62Bradford15.0%85.6%70.6%30
63Powys14.9%95.9%81.0%37
64Cornwall14.8%98.7%83.9%78
65Dudley14.5%96.4%81.9%48
66Warwick14.5%96.3%81.8%22
67Wigan14.5%95.5%81.0%15
68Dartford14.4%95.5%81.1%19
69Newport14.4%93.9%79.5%18
70Kingston upon Hull14.2%93.7%79.5%21
71Wandsworth14.2%99.8%85.6%52
72Barnsley14.0%96.3%82.3%24
73Darlington14.0%98.2%84.2%12
74Isle of Wight14.0%93.8%79.8%48
75Surrey Heath14.0%94.9%80.9%16
76Guildford13.8%91.0%77.2%21
77Thurrock13.8%87.9%74.1%20
78East Hampshire13.7%96.6%82.9%22
79Lake District NPA13.7%98.8%85.1%61
80Bath & NE Somerset13.6%97.9%84.3%41
81Oldham13.0%94.3%81.3%20
82Broadland12.8%97.8%85.0%28
83Tameside12.7%92.6%79.9%19
84Babergh Mid Suffolk12.6%96.5%83.9%42
85Bassetlaw12.6%90.0%77.4%22
86Pendle12.6%91.7%79.1%12
87Test Valley12.6%95.5%82.9%18
88Peterborough12.5%93.2%80.7%28
89Tewkesbury12.3%96.4%84.1%19
90Torbay12.3%87.1%74.8%16
91Brentwood12.1%89.9%77.8%17
92Rushcliffe11.9%93.3%81.4%22
93Southwark11.9%99.6%87.7%43
94Warrington11.9%91.9%80.0%23
95Calderdale11.6%93.1%81.5%17
96Slough11.6%87.2%75.6%9
97Blaby11.5%98.6%87.1%10
98Waltham Forest11.5%81.7%70.2%24
99Brighton & Hove11.4%95.0%83.6%13
100Bristol11.4%90.5%79.1%34
101Hertsmere11.4%92.8%81.4%16
102North Tyneside11.4%99.1%87.7%25
103Harrow11.3%80.8%69.5%27
104Selby11.3%88.5%77.2%20
105Wirral11.3%93.7%82.4%22
106Ceredigion11.0%90.5%79.5%16
107Hackney11.0%91.1%80.1%21
108South Downs11.0%99.3%88.3%34
109Fife10.9%97.0%86.1%19
110York10.9%97.2%86.3%21
111East Lindsey10.8%99.1%88.3%32
112Southend-on-Sea10.8%93.8%83.0%6
113East Cambridgeshire10.7%93.4%82.7%17
114Derby10.6%98.1%87.5%17
115Castle Point10.5%89.2%78.7%14
116Chichester10.5%94.6%84.1%13
117Rugby10.4%97.4%87.0%16
118Three Rivers10.4%95.7%85.3%13
119North East Lincolnshire10.3%97.6%87.3%12
120Tonbridge & Malling10.3%96.2%85.9%27
121Chorley10.2%96.3%86.1%22
122Kirklees10.2%90.3%80.1%23
123Watford10.1%94.3%84.2%12
124North Somerset10.0%94.6%84.6%34
125Cambridge9.9%96.9%87.0%38
126New Forest9.9%93.3%83.4%16
127Bury9.8%94.9%85.1%17
128Gedling9.8%97.9%88.1%16
129Midlothian9.8%97.7%87.9%6
130Pembrokeshire Coast National Park9.8%96.4%86.6%19
131Exeter9.7%93.8%84.1%13
132East Ayrshire9.5%98.3%88.8%7
133Plymouth9.5%96.1%86.6%20
134South Gloucestershire9.5%92.3%82.8%28
135Swindon9.5%99.6%90.1%15
136West Suffolk9.5%97.2%87.7%39
137Horsham9.4%97.5%88.1%22
138Kensington & Chelsea9.3%99.3%90.0%34
139South Kesteven9.3%98.1%88.8%29
140Carlisle9.1%99.2%90.1%16
141County Durham9.1%98.6%89.5%51
142Thanet9.1%94.3%85.2%23
143Basildon9.0%95.7%86.7%6
144Broxtowe8.9%97.2%88.3%19
145Hastings8.8%90.2%81.4%16
146Luton8.8%91.9%83.1%17
147Neath Port Talbot8.8%98.9%90.1%41
148Doncaster8.7%96.0%87.3%21
149Fenland8.7%93.0%84.3%21
150Forest of Dean8.7%95.1%86.4%19
151Lewes & Eastbourne8.7%95.7%87.0%8
152Maidstone8.7%82.4%73.7%6
153Solihull8.7%95.3%86.6%18
154Woking8.6%90.2%81.6%10
155Mid Sussex8.5%97.1%88.6%25
156Portsmouth8.5%91.8%83.3%14
157Highland8.4%98.3%89.9%8
158Nottingham8.4%97.6%89.2%20
159West Oxfordshire8.4%98.1%89.7%25
160Hart8.3%90.7%82.4%11
161King's Lynn & West Norfolk8.3%97.2%88.9%7
162South Ribble8.3%99.0%90.7%16
163Glasgow8.2%93.5%85.3%23
164Cotswold8.0%99.0%91.0%30
165Harborough8.0%95.4%87.4%16
166West Lancashire8.0%98.1%90.1%27
167Telford & Wrekin7.8%96.6%88.8%24
168Wakefield7.8%94.2%86.4%21
169Cheltenham7.7%97.8%90.1%20
170Stafford7.7%89.2%81.5%17
171Adur & Worthing7.6%93.7%86.1%27
172Cannock Chase7.6%95.5%87.9%21
173Stockton-on-Tees7.6%99.2%91.6%10
174Bromsgrove & Redditch7.5%96.0%88.5%5
175Hambleton7.5%98.4%90.9%19
176Newcastle upon Tyne7.5%97.0%89.5%26
177Derbyshire Dales7.3%96.1%88.8%15
178South Staffordshire7.2%90.4%83.2%6
179Stoke-on-Trent7.2%89.0%81.8%4
180Rotherham7.0%97.2%90.2%9
181Huntingdonshire6.8%97.8%91.0%22
182Halton6.7%98.5%91.8%10
183Argyll & Bute6.6%98.0%91.4%11
184Epsom & Ewell6.6%90.3%83.7%13
185Winchester6.6%97.7%91.1%14
186Bolsover6.3%97.5%91.2%12
187Oadby & Wigston6.3%85.9%79.6%10
188Sandwell6.3%95.1%88.8%24
189Angus6.2%97.5%91.3%11
190Dover6.2%96.2%90.0%14
191Melton6.2%98.7%92.5%15
192Canterbury6.1%97.6%91.5%21
193Lincoln6.1%98.7%92.6%11
194South Ayrshire6.1%98.1%92.0%6
195Gateshead6.0%96.4%90.4%22
196Knowsley5.9%97.6%91.7%15
197Torfaen5.9%95.6%89.7%11
198Torridge5.9%96.9%91.0%15
199Reigate & Banstead5.8%92.1%86.3%15
200City of London5.7%99.7%94.0%21
201East Dunbartonshire5.7%98.5%92.8%6
202Broads Authority5.6%98.1%92.5%8
203Aberdeenshire5.5%98.3%92.8%13
204Norwich5.5%95.1%89.6%13
205Perth & Kinross5.1%97.3%92.2%12
206West Lothian5.1%93.5%88.4%9
207North Norfolk4.9%98.4%93.5%6
208Rushmoor4.9%99.0%94.1%13
209Stevenage4.8%96.2%91.4%13
210Mid Devon4.5%99.5%95.0%22
211Renfrewshire4.5%98.3%93.8%12
212Aberdeen4.0%96.4%92.4%13
213South Norfolk3.8%98.2%94.4%22
214Gosport3.5%98.5%95.0%3
215South Lanarkshire3.4%98.3%94.9%20
216Clackmannanshire3.3%99.0%95.7%4
217Mansfield3.0%99.4%96.4%7
218Merthyr Tydfil2.9%92.8%89.9%6
219Dartmoor NPA2.8%88.9%86.1%3
220Dumfries & Galloway2.8%99.2%96.4%13
221Inverclyde2.5%97.3%94.8%4
222Orkney2.4%97.7%95.3%6
223Western Isles2.3%99.6%97.3%10
224Dundee2.2%95.7%93.5%8
225Moray2.1%99.2%97.1%8
226North Ayrshire1.8%99.3%97.5%5
227Stirling1.5%96.0%94.5%7
228Dacorum1.4%99.4%98.0%3
229Monmouthshire1.3%98.7%97.4%3
230North Hertfordshire1.1%97.4%96.3%3
231Falkirk0.8%99.2%98.4%6
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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 3,209,628 planning decisions across 231 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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