Enfield has been named as the hardest place to get planning permission for home improvements in England.

Research has revealed only 65 per cent of applications from would-be renovators in the borough were granted during the past three years, compared to a nationwide average of 91 per cent.

It also shows homeowners from Enfield have spent more than £1.1 million over the past three years on unsuccessful applications.

The firm behind the study, Roofing Megastore, claims renovators face a “postcode lottery” as people adapt to the “new normal” of working from home following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

Managing director Gian-Carlo Grossi said: “We predict a sharp rise in people looking to renovate or adapt their homes in 2020 and beyond, whether that’s to create a home office, to build extra bedrooms or just to optimise their living space.”

The analysis of Government figures shows eight out of the top 10 most difficult places to get planning permission are in London.

Six of the top ten easiest places to get permission are in the north of England, three of which are in Cumbria.

An Enfield Council spokesperson said: “In line with other local authorities in the United Kingdom, we encourage applicants to work with us at pre-application stage to ensure that projects seeking planning permission are of a high quality, comply with current legislation and suggest changes where that is not the case.

“However, we always apply planning policy and guidance fairly and consider all applications on their merits. We will only refuse planning consent in cases where applications clearly fail to meet the appropriate planning policies. It is important that new development in Enfield is of a high quality.”