Which ward in Bolton has the highest planning approval rate?

Breightmet at 92.7% based on 123 decisions.

Which ward in Bolton has the lowest planning approval rate?

Farnworth South at 59.6% based on 52 decisions.

How much do planning approval rates vary across Bolton?

There is a 33.1% gap between Breightmet and Farnworth South. Your postcode significantly affects outcomes.

Planning Approval Rates by Ward in Bolton

Planning outcomes in Bolton are highly localised. The gap between the most and least permissive wards is 33.1% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

4,833 real decisions·27 wards·Updated August 2026

All 27 wards ranked

#	Ward	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	Breightmet	123	114	9	92.7%
2	Horwich And Blackrod	200	184	16	92.0%
3	Heaton And Lostock	464	418	46	90.1%
4	Bromley Cross	413	369	44	89.3%
5	Farnworth	64	57	7	89.1%
6	Horwich North East	128	114	14	89.1%
7	Westhoughton North	139	123	16	88.5%
8	Bradshaw	220	194	26	88.2%
9	Heaton, Lostock & Chew Moor	211	185	26	87.7%
10	Kearsley	130	114	16	87.7%
11	Halliwell	240	208	32	86.7%
12	Westhoughton North & Hunger Hill	94	80	14	85.1%
13	Horwich South & Blackrod	85	72	13	84.7%
14	Little Lever And Darcy Lever	124	105	19	84.7%
15	Harper Green	76	64	12	84.2%
16	Hulton	246	207	39	84.1%
17	Smithills	270	226	44	83.7%
18	Great Lever	317	265	52	83.6%
19	Astley Bridge	305	253	52	83.0%
20	Rumworth	158	131	27	82.9%
21	Westhoughton South	131	108	23	82.4%
22	Crompton	171	139	32	81.3%
23	Farnworth North	66	53	13	80.3%
24	Tonge With The Haulgh	139	111	28	79.9%
25	Horwich North	102	80	22	78.4%
26	Queens Park & Central	144	108	36	75.0%
27	Farnworth South	52	31	21	59.6%

See how this applies to your postcode →

These are council averages. Your property is specific.

An extension might sail through in Breightmet but face serious resistance in Farnworth South.
Check your postcode to see what actually happens near your address.

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What the data tells us

A 33.1% gap separates the best and worst wards. Breightmet approves 92.7% of applications while Farnworth South approves just 59.6%. That's a fundamentally different planning environment.

High volume doesn't mean high approval. Some of the busiest wards aren't the most permissive. The number of applications a ward processes tells you nothing about how likely yours is to succeed.

Ward averages are a starting point, not a guarantee. Your specific outcome depends on your property, your neighbours, your proposal type and the comparable decisions near your address.

Before you spend £5,000+ on architects and drawings

702 planning applications in Bolton have been refused since 2020. Many of those homeowners had already paid for drawings and application fees. A free, property-specific report shows you what gets approved — and what gets refused — near your property.

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Free · Property report emailed in minutes · Based on 3,780,000+ real decisions

More Bolton planning data

Methodology: Covers 4,833 planning decisions in Bolton, January 2020 to August 2026. Approval rate = approved / (approved + refused). Pending, withdrawn and invalid excluded. Ward boundaries reflect current electoral divisions. Data from Bolton Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →