Planiverse / Authorities / Tower Hamlets

Tower Hamlets

In the last 12 months, 81.0% of full planning applications were approved in Tower Hamlets (389 decided). A typical decision takes about eight weeks (median 56 days).

Across all application types on record (2023-01-20–2026-06-18): 87.8% of 4,597 decisions approved.

5,151Total applications
4,034Approved
563Refused
0Withdrawn
93Pending
87.8%Approval rate (all types)
Check a property in Tower Hamlets
Decision Level
4,739Delegated
267Not Available
51Head of Places and Planning
38Neighbourhood Development Manager
27Strategic Development Committee
15Development Committee
8Principal Planning Officer
1OLD CODE
1Planning Committee
1London Docklands Development Corp.
By Development Category
CategoryTotalApprovedRefusedApproval rate
Full Planning Application 1,431 1,116 315
78.0%
Discharge of Conditions 1,061 1,036 25
97.6%
Listed Building Consent 352 308 44
87.5%
Non-Material Amendment (S96a) 315 302 13
95.9%
Tree Works (Conservation Area) 305 303 2
99.3%
Observations to Other Authorities 296 275 21
92.9%
Advertisement Consent 220 180 40
81.8%
Certificate of Lawfulness (Proposed) 165 138 27
83.6%
Cert. of Law. Existing Dev. (TCPA S191) 127 103 24
81.1%
London Legacy Development Corporation 96 95 1
99.0%
Variation/Removal of Conditions (S73) 53 43 10
81.1%
Tree Works (TPO) 52 48 4
92.3%
Class E to resi 32 13 19
40.6%
Householder (Prior Approval) 28 24 4
85.7%
Prior Approval (Other) 10 10 0
100.0%
Vary / Remove S106 (SI:1992 No.2832) 10 7 3
70.0%
Environmental Impact Assessment (Screening/Scoping) 9 9 0
100.0%
Construction of Additional Storeys 7 1 6
14.3%
Demolition 5 5 0
100.0%
Thames Tideway Tunnel DOR 5 5 0
100.0%
Telecommunications 4 3 1
75.0%
Outline Planning 3 2 1
66.7%
Cert of Law for prop wrks to Listed Buil 3 1 2
33.3%
Reserved Matters 2 2 0
100.0%
Uncategorised 2 2 0
100.0%
Consultation rec'd from neighbouring LA 2 2 0
100.0%
Temporary Flexible Uses 1 1 0
100.0%
Flats on detached block of flats 1 0 1
0.0%
Quarterly Trend
QuarterDecidedApprovedApproval rate
2023-Q3 338 291
86.1%
2023-Q4 401 347
86.5%
2024-Q1 351 306
87.2%
2024-Q2 385 349
90.6%
2024-Q3 328 284
86.6%
2024-Q4 360 310
86.1%
2025-Q1 353 302
85.6%
2025-Q2 400 347
86.8%
2025-Q3 412 363
88.1%
2025-Q4 429 369
86.0%
2026-Q1 368 339
92.1%
2026-Q2 40 36
90.0%
By Ward
WardTotalApprovedRefusedApproval rate
Bow West 438 393 45
89.7%
Bow East 389 346 43
88.9%
Whitechapel 363 306 57
84.3%
Canary Wharf 326 300 26
92.0%
Spitalfields and Banglatown 321 271 50
84.4%
Bethnal Green East 319 291 28
91.2%
Blackwall and Cubitt Town 252 226 26
89.7%
St Katharines and Wapping 249 236 13
94.8%
Not Available 240 226 14
94.2%
Weavers 236 199 37
84.3%
Bethnal Green West 219 188 31
85.8%
Lansbury 197 175 22
88.8%
Planning guides

Not sure what you can build without planning permission? See our guides to permitted development rights and Article 4 directions.