Planning decisions in Tower Hamlets
As of 24 Jun 2026, covering the last 5 years.
On the public planning record, Tower Hamlets approved 85% of 909 decided applications in the last 5 years. Here is the approval rate for the most common home-project types. It is useful before you apply and free for local reporters to cite with attribution to MyTrustedTraders.
Approval rate by project type
- Extension : 79% approved (146 decided, ~56 days)
- Basement : 90% approved (81 decided, ~56 days)
- Rear extension : 86% approved (71 decided, ~56 days)
- Demolition : 91% approved (68 decided, ~56 days)
- Windows & doors : 78% approved (65 decided, ~56 days)
- Change of use : 57% approved (60 decided, ~58 days)
- Advertisement / signage : 85% approved (59 decided, ~57 days)
- Tree work : 100% approved (49 decided, ~41 days) †
- Listed building / conservation : 98% approved (44 decided, ~56 days)
- Roof / fenestration : 92% approved (39 decided, ~56 days)
- Balcony / roof terrace : 89% approved (36 decided, ~56 days)
- Shopfront / commercial : 94% approved (32 decided, ~63 days)
- Loft conversion : 82% approved (28 decided, ~56 days)
- Boundary wall / fence / gates : 81% approved (26 decided, ~57 days)
- New dwelling : 86% approved (21 decided, ~54 days)
- Solar / renewables : 95% approved (21 decided, ~73 days)
- Side extension : 94% approved (18 decided, ~56 days)
- Outbuilding / garden room : 83% approved (12 decided, ~55 days)
- Two-storey extension : 91% approved (11 decided, ~56 days)
- Conservatory / orangery : 89% approved (9 decided, ~56 days)
- Driveway / dropped kerb : 100% approved (7 decided, ~8 days) †
- Porch : 83% approved (6 decided, ~56 days)
† We hold no refused decisions for this type here, so treat a full approval rate with caution. The council's own portal has the complete history.
Method
Figures are aggregates over the public planning decisions we hold for Tower Hamlets, matched to a project type from the application description. Overall approval is decided-weighted across project types, using each type's rate over the last 5 years where we hold enough decisions, otherwise its full record. Only types with at least five decided applications are shown. We publish aggregate counts only, with no application references or applicant names. Full method and limits.