What is the success rate of planning appeals in England?

Around 32.0% of planning appeals decided by the Planning Inspectorate are allowed, meaning the council's refusal is overturned. The rate varies widely by council — this table ranks every English authority on its own record.

Is an appeal success rate the same as an overturn rate?

Yes — they are the same figure seen from either side. An appeal that succeeds is one the Planning Inspectorate allows, which overturns the council's decision. This table uses appeals allowed as a share of appeals decided.

Does this cover Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?

Yes — all four nations. Appeals are decided by a different body in each, so we ingest each one: the Planning Inspectorate for England, the Division for Planning and Environmental Appeals (DPEA) for Scotland's 32 councils, Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW), which took Welsh casework from the Inspectorate in 2021, for all 22 Welsh councils, and the Planning Appeals Commission for Northern Ireland's 11. Note that appeals decided before April 2015 in Northern Ireland carry no council: planning sat with the Department of the Environment until it transferred to the councils.

League table · Planning Inspectorate

Planning appeal success rates: which councils get overturned?

When a refusal goes to appeal, how often does the appeal succeed? Every UK council ranked on real appeal casework — the appeal success rate, or overturn rate, is the single best read on whether a refusal is worth fighting. The whole UK is covered: England from the Planning Inspectorate, Scotland from the Division for Planning and Environmental Appeals, Wales from Planning and Environment Decisions Wales, and Northern Ireland from the Planning Appeals Commission.

National overturn rate

32.0%

of decided appeals are allowed — the council's decision overturned.

Fewest overturned Most overturned Most appeals

HM Planning Inspectorate casework data (OGL) · appeals decided Oct 2021 – Oct 2026. Overturn rate = appeals allowed ÷ appeals decided. Councils with fewer than 20 decided appeals aren't listed — too few to be meaningful.

#	Council	Appeals	Decided	Allowed	Overturned
1	East Lothian Council	62	59	6	10.2%
2	Boston Borough Council	49	36	5	13.9%
3	Cannock Chase District Council	56	49	7	14.3%
4	Broadland District Council	136	111	17	15.3%
5	Denbighshire County Council	30	25	4	16.0%
6	Mid and East Antrim	90	78	13	16.7%
7	Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council	196	165	28	17.0%
8	Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council	50	41	7	17.1%
9	East Lindsey District Council	120	111	19	17.1%
10	Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council	41	35	6	17.1%
11	Plymouth City Council	140	137	24	17.5%
12	North Kesteven District Council	110	97	17	17.5%
13	Breckland Council	211	196	35	17.9%
14	Ceredigion County Council	54	50	9	18.0%
15	Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council	317	258	47	18.2%
16	Rushmoor Borough Council	38	38	7	18.4%
17	Glasgow City Council	306	303	57	18.8%
18	Mansfield District Council	39	37	7	18.9%
19	Vale of Glamorgan Council	104	96	19	19.8%
20	South Ribble Borough Council	61	54	11	20.4%
21	Yorkshire Dales	61	54	11	20.4%
22	Peterborough City Council	196	185	38	20.5%
23	Tamworth Borough Council	31	29	6	20.7%
24	Orkney Islands Council	27	24	5	20.8%
25	Erewash Borough Council	58	51	11	21.6%
26	Fermanagh and Omagh	67	37	8	21.6%
27	Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council	74	60	13	21.7%
28	East Ayrshire Council	24	23	5	21.7%
29	Norwich City Council	76	64	14	21.9%
30	East Riding of Yorkshire Council	434	366	81	22.1%
31	Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council	169	144	32	22.2%
32	City of Edinburgh Council	1,028	1,004	225	22.4%
33	Cumberland	63	49	11	22.4%
34	Darlington Borough Council	75	71	16	22.5%
35	New Forest District Council	165	149	34	22.8%
36	Ashford Borough Council	282	261	60	23.0%
37	Stirling Council	26	26	6	23.1%
38	Lancaster City Council	229	190	44	23.2%
39	North Norfolk District Council	194	155	36	23.2%
40	Runnymede Borough Council	193	158	37	23.4%
41	North Lanarkshire Council	35	34	8	23.5%
42	Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority	43	34	8	23.5%
43	Havant Borough Council	81	72	17	23.6%
44	London Borough of Newham	427	290	69	23.8%
45	Rother District Council	329	285	68	23.9%
46	Salford City Council	125	117	28	23.9%
47	Oadby and Wigston Borough Council	58	58	14	24.1%
48	St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council	70	62	15	24.2%
49	Durham County Council	323	272	66	24.3%
50	Eastleigh Borough Council	164	148	36	24.3%
51	Torfaen County Borough Council	54	49	12	24.5%
52	West Lindsey District Council	109	102	25	24.5%
53	London Borough of Croydon	1,057	1,009	248	24.6%
54	Carmarthenshire County Council	159	118	29	24.6%
55	Horsham District Council	421	356	88	24.7%
56	North Devon District Council	140	121	30	24.8%
57	Blaby District Council	103	84	21	25.0%
58	City of Lincoln Council	49	48	12	25.0%
59	Preston City Council	86	79	20	25.3%
60	Epsom and Ewell Borough Council	203	193	49	25.4%
61	Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council	258	231	59	25.5%
62	North Tyneside Council	83	78	20	25.6%
63	Monmouthshire County Council	50	39	10	25.6%
64	Cambridge City Council	185	175	45	25.7%
65	Newcastle Upon Tyne City Council	181	167	43	25.8%
66	Worthing Borough Council	96	93	24	25.8%
67	Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council	216	182	47	25.8%
68	London Borough of Southwark	307	240	62	25.8%
69	Northumberland County Council	395	348	90	25.9%
70	Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council	213	189	49	25.9%
71	Eryri National Park Authority	30	27	7	25.9%
72	Cheltenham Borough Council	107	96	25	26.0%
73	City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council	587	467	122	26.1%
74	Bury Metropolitan Borough Council	126	111	29	26.1%
75	Bath and North East Somerset Council	302	256	67	26.2%
76	Mid Suffolk District Council	323	286	75	26.2%
77	Lisburn and Castlereagh	128	106	28	26.4%
78	North Somerset Council	296	253	67	26.5%
79	Dover District Council	161	151	40	26.5%
80	Conwy County Borough Council	56	49	13	26.5%
81	Tendring District Council	288	274	73	26.6%
82	Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council	99	90	24	26.7%
83	West Suffolk	227	210	56	26.7%
84	West Oxfordshire District Council	239	210	56	26.7%
85	London Borough of Wandsworth	501	436	117	26.8%
86	Lake District	234	123	33	26.8%
87	Kirklees Metropolitan Council	509	420	113	26.9%
88	Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council	29	26	7	26.9%
89	East Suffolk	330	304	82	27.0%
90	London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Council	444	361	98	27.2%
91	Great Yarmouth Borough Council	88	81	22	27.2%
92	London Borough of Islington	536	489	133	27.2%
93	Colchester Borough Council	376	323	88	27.2%
94	Chelmsford Borough Council	373	334	91	27.3%
95	Lichfield District Council	116	110	30	27.3%
96	Central Bedfordshire	623	528	144	27.3%
97	North Hertfordshire District Council	144	128	35	27.3%
98	Babergh District Council	238	223	61	27.4%
99	Dartford Borough Council	250	219	60	27.4%
100	London Borough of Lewisham	468	397	109	27.5%
101	London Borough of Camden	552	462	127	27.5%
102	Thanet District Council	192	171	47	27.5%
103	Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council	341	316	87	27.5%
104	Gravesham Borough Council	317	290	80	27.6%
105	Waltham Forest London Borough Council	518	471	130	27.6%
106	Folkestone and Hythe District Council	207	188	52	27.7%
107	Huntingdonshire District Council	217	206	57	27.7%
108	Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council	153	148	41	27.7%
109	London Borough of Redbridge	577	515	143	27.8%
110	Wyre Borough Council	128	108	30	27.8%
111	Cotswold District Council	224	194	54	27.8%
112	Gloucester City Council	83	79	22	27.9%
113	Braintree District Council	421	394	110	27.9%
114	Dorset	772	712	199	28.0%
115	Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council	243	232	65	28.0%
116	Leeds City Council	1,128	1,009	283	28.1%
117	Westmorland and Furness Council	102	82	23	28.1%
118	Southampton City Council	170	139	39	28.1%
119	Chesterfield Borough Council	71	64	18	28.1%
120	City and County of Swansea Council	312	284	80	28.2%
121	Mid Sussex District Council	252	227	64	28.2%
122	Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council	92	78	22	28.2%
123	Broxbourne Borough Council	187	156	44	28.2%
124	Bridgend County Borough Council	88	74	21	28.4%
125	Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead	496	440	125	28.4%
126	Winchester City Council	195	165	47	28.5%
127	Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole	894	835	238	28.5%
128	North East Derbyshire District Council	155	133	38	28.6%
129	King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council	304	266	76	28.6%
130	Ards and North Down	84	56	16	28.6%
131	London Borough of Tower Hamlets	353	304	87	28.6%
132	London Borough of Merton	235	213	61	28.6%
133	South Norfolk District Council	137	132	38	28.8%
134	Canterbury City Council	218	191	55	28.8%
135	Kingston-Upon-Hull City Council	105	93	27	29.0%
136	Broads	44	31	9	29.0%
137	South Holland District Council	135	120	35	29.2%
138	Newport City Council	146	123	36	29.3%
139	Adur District Council	58	58	17	29.3%
140	Burnley Borough Council	84	75	22	29.3%
141	Mole Valley District Council	414	368	108	29.3%
142	Brighton and Hove City Council	452	405	119	29.4%
143	Luton Borough Council	391	357	105	29.4%
144	London Borough of Bexley	398	343	101	29.4%
145	Dacorum Borough Council	344	302	89	29.5%
146	Shropshire County Council	514	460	136	29.6%
147	Uttlesford District Council	541	514	152	29.6%
148	Ribble Valley Borough Council	217	192	57	29.7%
149	Flintshire County Council	102	94	28	29.8%
150	Test Valley Borough Council	225	187	56	29.9%
151	London Borough of Ealing	645	463	139	30.0%
152	Woking Borough Council	268	246	74	30.1%
153	City of London Council	53	53	16	30.2%
154	Tunbridge Wells Borough Council	184	159	48	30.2%
155	Thurrock Borough Council	257	238	72	30.3%
156	Crawley Borough Council	122	109	33	30.3%
157	Blackpool Borough Council	160	132	40	30.3%
158	Milton Keynes Council	237	211	64	30.3%
159	Teignbridge District Council	284	267	81	30.3%
160	Herefordshire Council	280	204	62	30.4%
161	Leicester City Council	284	230	70	30.4%
162	Newry Mourne and Down	219	164	50	30.5%
163	Forest of Dean District Council	167	141	43	30.5%
164	Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council	175	154	47	30.5%
165	Torridge District Council	170	144	44	30.6%
166	Sunderland City Council	112	98	30	30.6%
167	Wealden District Council	569	506	155	30.6%
168	Eastbourne Borough Council	81	75	23	30.7%
169	Gedling Borough Council	120	101	31	30.7%
170	Bassetlaw District Council	172	166	51	30.7%
171	South Downs	376	319	98	30.7%
172	West Northamptonshire	385	363	112	30.9%
173	Rushcliffe Borough Council	186	171	53	31.0%
174	Sevenoaks District Council	393	342	106	31.0%
175	Brentwood Borough Council	238	216	67	31.0%
176	Spelthorne Borough Council	249	221	69	31.2%
177	Vale of White Horse District Council	167	144	45	31.3%
178	Wrexham County Borough Council	74	64	20	31.3%
179	Pembrokeshire County Council	70	48	15	31.3%
180	Powys County Council	53	48	15	31.3%
181	Oxford City Council	231	211	66	31.3%
182	Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council	165	131	41	31.3%
183	West Devon Borough Council	197	169	53	31.4%
184	Dartmoor	138	124	39	31.4%
185	Sheffield City Council	446	375	118	31.5%
186	Harborough District Council	193	162	51	31.5%
187	Cardiff Council	168	145	46	31.7%
188	Bedford Borough Council	488	406	129	31.8%
189	Welwyn Hatfield Council	231	214	68	31.8%
190	London Borough of Enfield	655	601	191	31.8%
191	London Borough of Lambeth	635	562	179	31.9%
192	City of York Council	326	284	91	32.0%
193	Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council	169	156	50	32.0%
194	Birmingham City Council	790	702	225	32.0%
195	Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council	314	293	94	32.1%
196	Ashfield District Council	121	109	35	32.1%
197	London Borough of Haringey	506	403	130	32.3%
198	Reading Borough Council	177	158	51	32.3%
199	South Staffordshire District Council	246	195	63	32.3%
200	Fareham Borough Council	80	65	21	32.3%
201	Derby City Council	139	133	43	32.3%
202	Rutland County Council	115	108	35	32.4%
203	Swindon Borough Council	167	160	52	32.5%
204	Rossendale Borough Council	135	123	40	32.5%
205	Wokingham Borough Council	287	230	75	32.6%
206	Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council	173	153	50	32.7%
207	St Albans City Council	399	385	126	32.7%
208	East Devon District Council	376	342	112	32.8%
209	London Borough of Havering	970	769	252	32.8%
210	Arun District Council	231	201	66	32.8%
211	Torbay Council	308	277	91	32.9%
212	Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council	196	149	49	32.9%
213	Reigate and Banstead Borough Council	388	349	115	33.0%
214	North Lincolnshire Council	227	187	62	33.2%
215	South Cambridgeshire District Council	392	295	98	33.2%
216	Wellingborough Borough Council *	3,252	2,514	836	33.3%
217	London Borough of Bromley	1,222	1,106	368	33.3%
218	Wakefield Metropolitan District Council	345	264	88	33.3%
219	Newark & Sherwood District Council	279	204	68	33.3%
220	North Warwickshire Borough Council	92	72	24	33.3%
221	Rugby Borough Council	140	108	36	33.3%
222	Gosport Borough Council	25	24	8	33.3%
223	North York Moors	66	57	19	33.3%
224	East Renfrewshire Council	21	21	7	33.3%
225	Angus Council	21	21	7	33.3%
226	Stroud District Council	276	254	85	33.5%
227	Medway Council	260	227	76	33.5%
228	Slough Borough Council	251	176	59	33.5%
229	Southend-on-Sea City Council	328	301	101	33.6%
230	Swale Borough Council	276	244	82	33.6%
231	Chichester District Council	341	270	91	33.7%
232	Exeter City Council	191	178	60	33.7%
233	North East Lincolnshire Council	72	68	23	33.8%
234	Waverley Borough Council	480	431	146	33.9%
235	Stratford-on-Avon District Council	383	353	120	34.0%
236	Tewkesbury Borough Council	226	176	60	34.1%
237	Warrington Borough Council	291	246	84	34.2%
238	North Yorkshire Council	599	529	181	34.2%
239	South Kesteven District Council	184	175	60	34.3%
240	London Borough of Sutton	361	338	116	34.3%
241	Worcester City Council	113	99	34	34.3%
242	Cheshire West and Chester	562	474	163	34.4%
243	Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council	66	61	21	34.4%
244	North West Leicestershire District Council	97	90	31	34.4%
245	Coventry City Council	369	351	121	34.5%
246	Cornwall Council	1,208	972	335	34.5%
247	Cheshire East	770	693	239	34.5%
248	City of Westminster Council	638	549	190	34.6%
249	Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council	53	52	18	34.6%
250	East Hertfordshire District Council	581	547	190	34.7%
251	West Lancashire District Council	205	190	66	34.7%
252	South Lanarkshire Council	71	69	24	34.8%
253	Guildford Borough Council	536	476	166	34.9%
254	Bracknell Forest Borough Council	168	154	54	35.1%
255	Antrim and Newtownabbey	156	134	47	35.1%
256	Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council	274	242	85	35.1%
257	Causeway Coast and Glens	141	74	26	35.1%
258	Ipswich Borough Council	92	88	31	35.2%
259	London Borough of Hillingdon	888	748	264	35.3%
260	High Peak Borough Council	136	130	46	35.4%
261	Watford Borough Council	218	197	70	35.5%
262	Bristol City Council	679	631	225	35.7%
263	Charnwood Borough Council	172	154	55	35.7%
264	London Borough of Brent	1,136	755	270	35.8%
265	Lewes District Council	142	134	48	35.8%
266	Isle of Anglesey County Council	56	50	18	36.0%
267	London Borough of Harrow	669	598	216	36.1%
268	West Berkshire District Council	255	227	82	36.1%
269	Richmond Upon Thames London Borough Council	676	615	223	36.3%
270	Pendle Borough Council	136	110	40	36.4%
271	Bolsover District Council	41	33	12	36.4%
272	South Hams District Council	314	275	100	36.4%
273	Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council	130	118	43	36.4%
274	East Staffordshire Borough Council	93	85	31	36.5%
275	Elmbridge Borough Council	573	529	193	36.5%
276	Royal Borough of Greenwich	640	612	224	36.6%
277	East Hampshire District Council	190	153	56	36.6%
278	Peak District	172	161	59	36.6%
279	Nottingham City Council	182	169	62	36.7%
280	Hart District Council	279	256	94	36.7%
281	Somerset Council	377	354	130	36.7%
282	Three Rivers District Council	254	231	85	36.8%
283	Wiltshire Council	680	596	220	36.9%
284	Amber Valley Borough Council	95	92	34	37.0%
285	Derbyshire Dales District Council	163	135	50	37.0%
286	Malvern Hills District Council	305	272	101	37.1%
287	Maidstone Borough Council	483	390	145	37.2%
288	Dumfries and Galloway Council	43	43	16	37.2%
289	North Northamptonshire	350	337	126	37.4%
290	Caerphilly County Borough Council	156	139	52	37.4%
291	Epping Forest District Council	740	657	246	37.4%
292	Fylde Borough Council	58	56	21	37.5%
293	Mid Devon District Council	116	101	38	37.6%
294	East Cambridgeshire District Council	193	170	64	37.6%
295	London Borough of Barnet	1,512	1,238	468	37.8%
296	Surrey Heath Borough Council	300	275	104	37.8%
297	Wolverhampton City Council	167	147	56	38.1%
298	Redditch Borough Council	37	34	13	38.2%
299	Bromsgrove District Council	200	183	70	38.3%
300	South Tyneside Council	70	60	23	38.3%
301	Isle of Wight Council	260	240	92	38.3%
302	Telford and Wrekin Council	154	112	43	38.4%
303	Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council	236	216	83	38.4%
304	Fife Council	82	78	30	38.5%
305	Cyngor Gwynedd	68	62	24	38.7%
306	Castle Point Borough Council	155	142	55	38.7%
307	Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames	414	395	153	38.7%
308	Warwick District Council	302	281	109	38.8%
309	Tandridge District Council	411	370	144	38.9%
310	Staffordshire Moorlands District Council	212	190	74	39.0%
311	Fenland District Council	92	82	32	39.0%
312	Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council	199	169	66	39.1%
313	Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council	217	199	78	39.2%
314	Aberdeenshire Council	85	84	33	39.3%
315	London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham	368	318	125	39.3%
316	Hastings Borough Council	94	89	35	39.3%
317	Harlow District Council	107	96	38	39.6%
318	Chorley Borough Council	126	111	44	39.6%
319	Buckinghamshire Council	76	73	29	39.7%
320	Armagh City Banbridge and Craigavon	116	88	35	39.8%
321	Stafford Borough Council	167	155	62	40.0%
322	Manchester City Council	432	366	147	40.2%
323	Halton Borough Council	39	32	13	40.6%
324	Cherwell District Council	255	228	93	40.8%
325	Aberdeen City Council	78	76	31	40.8%
326	South Gloucestershire Council	470	397	162	40.8%
327	Maldon District Council	353	328	135	41.2%
328	South Oxfordshire District Council	292	250	103	41.2%
329	Stoke-on-Trent City Council	98	92	38	41.3%
330	Argyll and Bute Council	31	29	12	41.4%
331	West Lothian Council	125	118	49	41.5%
332	London Borough of Hounslow	728	674	284	42.1%
333	Rhondda Cynon Taff County Borough Council	97	90	38	42.2%
334	Liverpool City Council	613	593	251	42.3%
335	Basildon District Council	451	314	134	42.7%
336	Highland Council	125	124	53	42.7%
337	Perth and Kinross Council	74	70	30	42.9%
338	London Borough of Hackney	735	596	256	43.0%
339	Wyre Forest District Council	121	100	43	43.0%
340	Hyndburn Borough Council	67	58	25	43.1%
341	New Forest	134	104	45	43.3%
342	Dundee City Council	31	30	13	43.3%
343	Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea	445	388	169	43.6%
344	Wychavon District Council	399	364	159	43.7%
345	South Derbyshire District Council	93	82	36	43.9%
346	Portsmouth City Council	196	184	81	44.0%
347	Rochford District Council	188	161	71	44.1%
348	Hertsmere Borough Council	222	191	86	45.0%
349	Moray Council	23	22	10	45.5%
350	Scottish Borders Council	35	33	15	45.5%
351	Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council	76	69	32	46.4%
352	Exmoor	26	21	10	47.6%
353	Melton Borough Council	65	58	28	48.3%
354	Broxtowe Borough Council	110	97	51	52.6%
355	Renfrewshire Council	33	33	18	54.5%
356	Belfast	149	103	57	55.3%
357	Stevenage Borough Council	26	20	12	60.0%
358	Derry City and Strabane	57	32	20	62.5%
359	East Dunbartonshire Council	27	27	19	70.4%

Paid plans add each council's appeal trend, written-reps vs hearing vs inquiry mix, and the appeal agents with the best win rates — the consultants who actually get refusals reversed.

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