Trade Fix Direct has investigated which areas of the UK you are most and least likely to get planning permission granted, by analysing government data on historic planning applications between 2000 and 2024.
Planning permission is least likely to be granted in London, with London boroughs ranking in all of the top 10 positions, as well as 18 of the top 20 positions, for planning permission refusals.
Projects in Hillingdon, London, are the least likely to get planning permission granted, with just 62% of requests approved between 2000 and 2024.
This is closely followed by London districts Enfield and Newham, where less than 63% of planning permission requests have been granted.
Despite this, projects in the City of London are most likely to get planning permission granted, with nearly 98% of requests approved between 2000 and 2024.
Following in second is Cumberland, where 96% of requests have been approved, with County Durham ranking in third with 95% of planning permission requests granted.
Paul Kershaw at Trade Fix Direct said of the findings:
“If you’re looking to start a renovation or construction project, it’s important to find out whether you will require planning permission and to request this, where applicable. To give yourself the best chance of success, it’s always good to be in the know about acceptance rates and to follow best practices when making an application.”
“If you don’t apply for planning permission, and your project requires it, you can be served an ‘enforcement notice’, which effectively instructs you to reverse all the changes that you have made. If you fail to comply with the enforcement notice, and have no outstanding appeal once the period for compliance has passed, you could face up to an unlimited fine.”
