Croydon
Why Does Croydon Refuse 78% of Small Sites on Design Grounds?
Design accounts for 78% of coded refusal reasons in Croydon — the highest concentration of any borough. What makes the bar so high, and what gets through?
March 2026
Insights
The patterns in the data.
Empirical findings from 15,114 planning applications across all 33 London boroughs. Each article is anchored to specific data — every number is traceable.
London-wide
Does Your Borough Approve Conversions? The 71-Point Lottery
Conversion approval rates range from 22% to 93% across London boroughs — a 71-point spread. Same building type, radically different outcomes depending on where you apply.
March 2026
Brent
Brent Approves Half Its Small Sites — Then Cuts the Units
Brent’s 47% approval rate masks a deeper pattern: approved schemes lose an average of 1.2 units between application and consent. The real yield is lower than the headline suggests.
March 2026
London-wide
Do Conservation Areas Actually Hurt Your Planning Chances?
The assumption that conservation areas mean lower approval rates is widespread. The data across 33 boroughs tells a more complicated story — in some places, the effect reverses entirely.
March 2026
Havering
Havering Refuses 7 in 10 Small Site Applications. Why?
At 70.5%, Havering has the highest small site refusal rate in London. The causes run deeper than strict planning officers — site type, density expectations, and political context all play a role.
March 2026
Camden
Why Do Conservation Areas Boost Approval Rates in Camden?
In most boroughs, conservation areas are a planning headwind. In Camden, applications inside conservation areas are approved at a higher rate than those outside. Here is why the data says that.
March 2026
London-wide
Is Inner London Really Easier to Get Planning on Small Sites?
Inner London boroughs approve small sites at a higher rate than outer London — but the gap is not where most developers expect it. The data reveals which side of the boundary matters, and why.
March 2026
Hammersmith & Fulham
Why Does Hammersmith & Fulham Take So Long to Say Yes?
Approved applications in Hammersmith & Fulham take significantly longer to determine than refusals. The asymmetry points to negotiation, not inefficiency — and it has viability implications.
March 2026
London-wide
Do 6 and 9 Unit Schemes Really Get Approved More Often in London?
Industry folklore says 6 and 9 units are the sweet spots — just below committee thresholds and affordable housing triggers. The data from 15,114 applications tests whether the folklore holds.
March 2026
Newham
Why Are Space Standards the Top Refusal Reason in Newham?
Space standards appear in more Newham refusal notices than any other reason category. In a borough with a 63% refusal rate, undersized units are the most common way to fail.
March 2026
London-wide
What Happens When AI Agents Can Query Planning Data?
Planning outcomes follow patterns only visible at scale. As AI agents enter development appraisal, structured datasets become the infrastructure that separates informed bids from guesses.
March 2026
See the data behind the findings.
Every insight comes from our borough intelligence reports. 15,114 applications, 33 boroughs, every officer report read.