Blackpool planning approval rate
Blackpool council approved 84.5% of planning applications and refused 15.5%, based on 748 decisions analysed. Ranked 44th out of 300 councils for strictness.
Last updated: August 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to August 2026
84.5%
overall approval rate
748
Decisions analysed
632
Approved
116
Refused
21
Wards covered
Planning in Blackpool? Check your postcode to see approval rates specific to your ward and street.
Approval rate by application type
Different application types have different approval rates in Blackpool. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.
81.3%
100.0%
91.5%
84.4%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Blackpool, mined from 748 proposal descriptions.
89.7%
78.4%
77.0%
64.3%
73.5%
84.0%
91.3%
100.0%
86.7%
100.0%
38.5%
60.0%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Blackpool. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
Talbot
90.8%
Stanley
82.9%
Bloomfield
81.5%
Claremont
80.0%
Marton
83.3%
Waterloo
78.4%
Warbreck
91.7%
Squires Gate
80.6%
Clifton
88.2%
Layton
76.5%
Anchorsholme
87.5%
Park
88.9%
Bispham
100.0%
Ingthorpe
88.5%
Norbreck
79.2%
Tyldesley
95.8%
Greenlands
85.7%
Wards in Blackpool
Talbot
90.8% approval · 109 decisions
Stanley
82.9% approval · 70 decisions
Bloomfield
81.5% approval · 65 decisions
Claremont
80.0% approval · 50 decisions
Marton
83.3% approval · 42 decisions
Waterloo
78.4% approval · 37 decisions
Warbreck
91.7% approval · 36 decisions
Squires Gate
80.6% approval · 36 decisions
Clifton
88.2% approval · 34 decisions
Layton
76.5% approval · 34 decisions
Anchorsholme
87.5% approval · 32 decisions
Park
88.9% approval · 27 decisions
Bispham
100.0% approval · 27 decisions
Ingthorpe
88.5% approval · 26 decisions
Norbreck
79.2% approval · 24 decisions
Tyldesley
95.8% approval · 24 decisions
Greenlands
85.7% approval · 21 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in Blackpool, showing how the council decides real applications.
Use of premise as a single dwelling · Waterloo · Fri 14 Aug 2026
Installation of roof mounted solar panels. · Stanley · Tue 11 Aug 2026
Erection of single storey rear extension following removal of conservatory. Exte · · Tue 11 Aug 2026
Showing 3 recent comparable decisions. See more in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In Blackpool, 1 in 6 applications are refused. Your PlanningLens Full Planning Analysis gives you 17 pages of intelligence specific to your property:
✓ Ward-level approval rates for your exact area
✓ Common refusal reasons in Blackpool
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for Blackpool →
✓ Common refusal reasons in Blackpool
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free. Based on 748 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in Blackpool
What is the planning approval rate in Blackpool?
Based on 748 planning decisions analysed since 2020, Blackpool approved 84.5% of applications and refused 15.5%. The council is ranked 44th out of 300 UK councils for approval rate.
How many planning applications are refused in Blackpool?
Blackpool refuses 15.5% of planning applications, roughly 1 in 6. That is higher than the UK average of 11.4%. Out of 748 decided applications since 2020, 116 were refused. PlanningLens lets you check any postcode to see which applications were refused near a specific property.
Which areas of Blackpool have the highest planning approval rates?
The highest approval rates in Blackpool are in Talbot (90.8%), Stanley (82.9%), and Bloomfield (81.5%). Approval rates vary significantly by ward, see the full ward breakdown above.
What types of planning application are most common in Blackpool?
The most common planning application types in Blackpool are: Full (460 decisions, 81.3% approved), Discharge of Conditions (87, 100.0%), and Certificate of Lawfulness (83, 78.3%).
How long does a planning application take in Blackpool?
Planning applications in Blackpool take an average of 12.4 weeks to reach a decision, measured across 734 decisions with a recorded timeline. That is slower than the 8-week statutory target for householder applications (the statutory targets are 8 weeks for householder applications and 13 weeks for major developments). PlanningLens measures the actual time each application takes, not just the target. Blackpool decides approximately 125 planning applications per year.
How do I check planning applications in Blackpool?
You can search planning applications in Blackpool directly on the council's official planning portal. PlanningLens also lets you check any postcode against 748 historical decisions in Blackpool to see what's been approved and refused near a specific property.
How is PlanningLens approval rate data for Blackpool calculated?
PlanningLens scrapes Blackpool's official planning portal and analyses every published decision since January 2020. The approval rate is calculated as approved decisions divided by total decided applications, excluding withdrawn and pending applications. The full methodology, data sourcing, and Creative Commons BY 4.0 licensing terms are published at planninglens.co.uk/methodology.