On average, 91% of planning applications for home renovations in England are granted. In Hounslow this figure is 71.24%, making it the fourth hardest place to get planning permission in England.
Depending on where you live, your local average could be as low as 65%, or as high as 99%. So, why is there such a big difference?
To find out, building supplies firm Roofing Megastore sifted through three years' worth of planning applications from over 300 planning authorities across the country, looking at how many applications were granted and rejected in each.
The easiest town to get planning permission is Carlisle, Cumbria with 98.90% approval.
According to the research, London Borough Enfield is the hardest place to gain planning permission in England. On average, only 65.13% of applications are granted, which is a huge 25.97% below the national average.
Eight out of the top ten most difficult places in England to get planning permission are in London. Rochdale in Manchester and Southend-on-Sea in Essex are the only two places outside the capital to feature the top ten.
In contrast, Carlisle in Cumbria has granted 98.9% of planning applications over the past three years, which is 7.8% above average, making it the easiest place to gain planning permission in England.
10 hardest places to get planning permission in England
1 Enfield, London 65.13% approved
2 Hillingdon, London 66.01%
3 Harrow, London 69.56%
4 Hounslow, London 71.24%
5 Greenwich, London 71.47%
6 Lambeth, London 73.55%
7 Rochdale, Greater Manchester 74.03%
8 Southend-on-Sea, Essex 74.46%
9 Newnham, London 76.02%
10 Bromley, London 76,82%
What is behind the postcode lottery?
Numerous factors affect how likely an application is to be granted – from neighbour objections, to site specific factors, the type of development, listed status, and crucially, where in the country a property is located.
Find out more here including the top Renovation Hotspots in the UK.
