Which ward in Bolton has the highest planning approval rate?

Breightmet at 93.9% based on 98 decisions.

Which ward in Bolton has the lowest planning approval rate?

Crompton at 81.2% based on 170 decisions.

How much do planning approval rates vary across Bolton?

There is a 12.7% gap between Breightmet and Crompton. 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 12.7% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

3,753 real decisions·27 wards·Updated March 2026

All 27 wards ranked

#	Ward	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	Breightmet	98	92	6	93.9%
2	Horwich And Blackrod	193	178	15	92.2%
3	Little Lever And Darcy Lever	97	89	8	91.8%
4	Farnworth	63	57	6	90.5%
5	Bromley Cross	337	304	33	90.2%
6	Heaton And Lostock	464	418	46	90.1%
7	Farnworth North	20	18	2	90.0%
8	Horwich North East	128	114	14	89.1%
9	Westhoughton North	136	121	15	89.0%
10	Kearsley	107	95	12	88.8%
11	Bradshaw	177	156	21	88.1%
12	Horwich South & Blackrod	32	28	4	87.5%
13	Farnworth South	16	14	2	87.5%
14	Rumworth	126	110	16	87.3%
15	Heaton, Lostock & Chew Moor	86	75	11	87.2%
16	Westhoughton South	100	87	13	87.0%
17	Smithills	210	182	28	86.7%
18	Tonge With The Haulgh	90	78	12	86.7%
19	Astley Bridge	244	211	33	86.5%
20	Halliwell	204	175	29	85.8%
21	Westhoughton North & Hunger Hill	28	24	4	85.7%
22	Great Lever	274	233	41	85.0%
23	Queens Park & Central	45	38	7	84.4%
24	Hulton	172	145	27	84.3%
25	Harper Green	76	64	12	84.2%
26	Horwich North	43	36	7	83.7%
27	Crompton	170	138	32	81.2%

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 Crompton.
Check your postcode to see what actually happens near your address.

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What the data tells us

A 12.7% gap separates the best and worst wards. Breightmet approves 93.9% of applications while Crompton approves just 81.2%. 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

458 planning applications in Bolton have been refused since 2020. Many of those homeowners had already paid for drawings and application fees. A £79 report shows you what gets approved — and what gets refused — near your property.

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Free instant check · Pro Report £79 · Based on 2,500,000+ real decisions

More Bolton planning data

Methodology: Covers 3,753 planning decisions in Bolton, January 2020 to present. 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 →