Blackburn with Darwen Council approves 87.7% of planning applications, based on 10,138 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. Blackburn with Darwen sits 2.7 percentage points above the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 798 decided applications, Blackburn with Darwen Council approved 94.1% of planning applications in 2025. Across 10,138 decisions on record (July 1984 to June 2026), the overall approval rate in Blackburn with Darwen is 87.7%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Blackburn with Darwen council planning portal records · Data to 18 June 2026 · Quote freely with attribution
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Not all applications are treated equally. Extension types, listed building consent, and change of use applications each have very different success rates in Blackburn with Darwen.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 11,130 | 1,383 | 12,513 | 88.9% |
| Full | 88 | 2 | 90 | 97.8% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 41 | 2 | 43 | 95.3% |
| Trees | 37 | 2 | 39 | 94.9% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 13 | 2 | 15 | 86.7% |
| Prior Approval | 6 | 0 | 6 | 100.0% |
| Advertisement | 5 | 0 | 5 | 100.0% |
| Listed Building | 3 | 0 | 3 | 100.0% |
A loft conversion in one ward can have a 90% approval rate. In the next ward, 55%. The free check tells you which side you're on, your free property report is emailed in minutes.
Check My PostcodeWard-level data reveals where planning applications are most and least likely to succeed. Officers, local policies, and neighbourhood character all play a role.
| Ward | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|
How Blackburn with Darwen’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, up 6.5pp since 2018.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from Blackburn with Darwen council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| 10/26/0480 | Erection of single storey rear extension 6m from original rear wall, Max Height | Approved |
| 10/26/0466 | Erection of single storey extension to rear. 6m from original rear wall, Max Hei | Approved |
| 10/26/0461 | Erection of single storey extension to rear Max length 6m additional 1.8m beyond | Approved |
| 10/26/0454 | Erection of single storey rear extension. 4.00m from original rear wall, Max Hei | Approved |
| 10/26/0429 | Discharge Condition No.9 " vehicular access barrier to side of building scheme" | Approved |
| 10/26/0015 | Erection of agricultural/equestrian store with associated ground levels changes | Approved |
| 10/26/0423 | Erection of single storey rear extension. Max length 3.5m, eaves height 3m, rid | Approved |
| 10/26/0334 | Conversion of garage to habitable room | Approved |
| 10/26/0375 | Proposed single storey rear extension | Approved |
| 10/26/0343 | Proposed demolition of existing conservatory, construction of a single storey re | Approved |
Find out what actually gets approved near your address first. Your free property report analyses the 20 nearest decisions to your property, ward-specific refusal patterns, and extension-by-extension approval patterns. Based on Blackburn with Darwen's 10,138 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare Blackburn with Darwen's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
Dig deeper into Blackburn with Darwen's planning statistics, by ward, extension type, or project category:
Data-driven guides to help you understand planning approval patterns:
Yes. PlanningLens offers a free planning permission check for Blackburn with Darwen. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 10,138 real decisions from Blackburn with Darwen council. The full property-specific report is also free and emailed within minutes.
Enter your postcode on PlanningLens for a free instant check based on Blackburn with Darwen's real planning decisions. The free property report goes further: it analyses the 20 nearest comparable decisions to your property, ward-level refusal patterns, and approval rates by application type. Free and emailed within minutes.
Based on 10,138 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Blackburn with Darwen is 87.7%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 10,138 planning decisions from Blackburn with Darwen council. 8,886 were approved and 1,252 were refused. These figures cover every decision on record for the council, July 1984 to June 2026.
The average approval rate in Blackburn with Darwen is 87.7%, but outcomes depend heavily on your specific ward, the type of extension or development you are proposing, and local planning policy. Use the free PlanningLens postcode check to get a personalised score.
Writing about planning in Blackburn with Darwen? These figures are free to republish with attribution. Copy the one-line citation, or paste the stat box into any website, CMS or newsletter, it carries its own styling and links back to this page for verification.