← News · Published 25 August 2026
The 10 councils where householder planning appeals succeed most often.
Some councils refuse householder applications that the Planning Inspectorate later allows on appeal far more often than others. Using Planning Inspectorate decision data for householder (HAS) appeals over the past 12 months, we ranked every council in England with at least 20 decided appeals by appeal success rate — the share of appeals the Inspectorate allowed.
If your council appears near the top of this list, it doesn't guarantee your appeal will succeed — but it's a useful signal that the Inspectorate has been willing to overturn this council's householder refusals more often than most. Get a free review of your own case for a similar-appeal comparison specific to your situation.
Councils with the highest householder appeal success rate
Ranked by the percentage of householder (HAS) appeals allowed by the Planning Inspectorate, among councils with 20 or more decided appeals in the past 12 months.
| Rank | Council | Decisions | Allowed | Success rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | London Borough of Hounslow | 43 | 27 | 62.8% |
| 2 | Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames | 20 | 12 | 60.0% |
| 3 | London Borough of Wandsworth | 28 | 16 | 57.1% |
| 4 | Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council | 20 | 11 | 55.0% |
| 5 | Royal Borough of Greenwich | 40 | 22 | 55.0% |
| 6 | London Borough of Havering | 55 | 29 | 52.7% |
| 7 | East Hertfordshire District Council | 26 | 13 | 50.0% |
| 8 | Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council | 20 | 10 | 50.0% |
| 9 | Richmond Upon Thames London Borough Council | 59 | 29 | 49.2% |
| 10 | London Borough of Hillingdon | 33 | 16 | 48.5% |
What this data does and doesn't tell you
A council's overall appeal success rate reflects how that council's planning committee and officers have applied policy across many different schemes — extensions, loft conversions, outbuildings, and more. It isn't a prediction for any individual case.
A high success rate can mean a council is applying policy more strictly than neighbouring authorities, or that its officers are more cautious about approving borderline schemes and leaving the decision to appeal instead. Either way, it's a sign that a refusal from one of these councils is more often than not worth a second look from an independent Planning Inspector.
If your council isn't on this list
A lower published success rate doesn't mean an appeal is a waste of time — national data is only ever a starting point. What matters most is the specific policy your application was refused against, and whether similar schemes nearby have succeeded on appeal.
Request a free case review and we'll look at appeals similar to yours, not just the national or council-wide average.
Common questions about council appeal success rates
What counts as an "overturned" or "allowed" appeal?
An appeal is allowed when the Planning Inspectorate disagrees with the council's decision to refuse (or its failure to decide in time) and grants planning permission instead. That's counted as a success in this data. Appeals allowed only in part are not counted here — this table uses fully allowed decisions only.
How is a council's appeal success rate calculated?
It's the number of householder appeals the Inspectorate allowed, divided by the total number of householder appeals decided for that council, over the past 12 months. Only councils with at least 20 decided appeals are included, to avoid a small handful of cases producing a misleading percentage.
Does a high council success rate mean my appeal will succeed?
No — it's a general signal about that council, not a prediction for your specific scheme. The details of your refusal, the exact policies cited, and how similar cases nearby were decided matter far more than the council-wide average.
Where does this data come from?
Planning Inspectorate householder appeal decisions, covering the 12 months to the date this page was published. Figures are a snapshot and will shift over time as new decisions are published.
How does this compare to the councils hardest to win against?
See our companion article: the councils hardest to win a planning appeal against.
Get an honest view of your own case
Send us your refusal and we'll tell you how similar cases have fared on appeal — not just the national average.