Highest Planning Approval Rates by Council

Which UK councils approve the most planning applications? Rankings based on approval rates from the last 24 months.

Data covers the most recent 24-month period. Rankings are based on 200 councils that meet minimum data thresholds for statistical significance. Last updated 8 August 2026.

#	Council	Approval Rate	Approved	Refused	Total Decided
1	Cheshire West and Chester	100%	55	0	55
2	South Ayrshire	98.5%	338	4	343
3	Shetlands	97.6%	80	1	82
4	City of London	97.4%	782	5	803
5	Fermanagh and Omagh	97.3%	284	0	292
6	Western Isles	97.1%	102	3	105
7	North Kesteven	96.7%	433	7	448
8	Gosport	96.6%	86	2	89
9	North Lanarkshire	95.8%	251	6	262
10	Essex	95.6%	109	2	114
11	Lisburn and Castlereagh	95.5%	278	2	291
12	Leicestershire	95.5%	64	1	67
13	Darlington	95.5%	147	5	154
14	Bolsover	95.4%	103	3	108
15	Loch Lomond	95.3%	61	1	64
16	Cardiff	95.3%	667	19	700
17	Sedgemoor	95%	900	23	947
18	Renfrewshire	94.9%	148	3	156
19	Belfast	94.9%	351	11	370
20	Lincoln	94.9%	203	6	214
21	Hartlepool	94.7%	107	3	113
22	Monmouthshire	94.6%	438	13	463
23	Neath	94.5%	239	4	253
24	Fermanagh and Omagh District Council	94.4%	1327	30	1405
25	Redcar and Cleveland	94.4%	335	2	355
26	Causeway and Glens	94.1%	546	18	580
27	Ryedale	93.9%	278	17	296
28	Belfast City Council	93.9%	1779	49	1895
29	Broads	93.9%	92	5	98
30	Derry and Strabane	93.8%	259	7	276
31	Tunbridge Wells	93.8%	677	34	722
32	Fareham	93.8%	660	11	704
33	West Oxfordshire	93.7%	912	40	973
34	Blaby	93.7%	223	5	238
35	Canterbury	93.7%	949	20	1013
36	Southwark	93.5%	816	31	873
37	New Forest (Park)	93.4%	499	18	534
38	Newark and Sherwood	93.4%	468	26	501
39	Melton	93.3%	210	8	225
40	Dumfries	93.3%	616	21	660
41	Moray	93.3%	154	2	165
42	Guernsey	93.3%	405	24	434
43	Derry City and Strabane District Council	93.2%	674	12	723
44	St Helens	93.1%	296	14	318
45	Armagh Banbridge Craigavon	93.1%	268	10	288
46	Amber Valley	93%	505	15	543
47	Knowsley	93%	93	5	100
48	Rhondda	92.9%	446	23	480
49	Adur and Worthing	92.7%	598	28	645
50	Aberdeenshire	92.7%	699	36	754

Understanding Planning Approval Rates

Planning approval rates measure the percentage of decided applications that receive permission. The national average approval rate across England is typically between 85% and 90%, though individual councils can vary significantly from this figure.

High approval rates do not necessarily indicate lenient planning policies. Councils with excellent pre-application advice services often steer applicants away from unsuitable proposals before they enter the formal system, resulting in a higher proportion of approvable applications being submitted.

Conversely, councils in areas of high development pressure or environmental sensitivity may have lower approval rates due to stricter policy requirements. Conservation areas, Green Belt designations, and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty all create additional constraints that can lead to higher refusal rates.

How Approval Rates Are Calculated

Approval rates are calculated as the number of permitted applications divided by the total number of decided applications (permitted, refused, and withdrawn). Only councils with at least 50 decided applications in the 24-month period are included to ensure meaningful comparisons.

All application types are included in these figures, from householder extensions to major developments. The mix of application types received by each council can influence overall approval rates, as some categories (such as householder applications) tend to have higher approval rates than others.