Burnley planning approval rate

Burnley council approved 89.6% of planning applications and refused 10.4%, based on 259 decisions analysed. Ranked 91st out of 221 councils for strictness.

Last updated: March 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to present

89.6%

overall approval rate

259

Decisions analysed

232

Approved

Refused

Wards covered

Planning in Burnley? 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 Burnley. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.

Full (158 decided)

89.2%

Trees (24 decided)

95.8%

Advertisement (20 decided)

100.0%

Other (16 decided)

93.8%

Discharge of Conditions (12 decided)

91.7%

Prior Approval (12 decided)

66.7%

Listed Building (12 decided)

100.0%

Approval rate by project type

These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Burnley — mined from 259 proposal descriptions.

Extension (General) (39 decided)

87.2%

Garage / Parking (36 decided)

100.0%

Rear Extension (34 decided)

91.2%

Change of Use (Residential) (31 decided)

77.4%

New Build (11 decided)

90.9%

Approval rate by ward

Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Burnley. Click any ward for detailed statistics.

Daneshouse With Stoneyholme (46 decided)

95.7%

Cliviger With Worsthorne (27 decided)

92.6%

Hapton With Park (22 decided)

77.3%

Wards in Burnley

Daneshouse With Stoneyholme

95.7% approval · 46 decisions

Cliviger With Worsthorne

92.6% approval · 27 decisions

Hapton With Park

77.3% approval · 22 decisions

Recent comparable decisions

The most recent residential planning decisions in Burnley, showing how the council decides real applications.

HOU/2025/0650

Proposed two storey extension to side elevation and single storey to rear. · Rosehill With Burnley Wood · Fri 20 Feb 2026

Refused

OUT/2023/0341

Outline application for up to 40 dwellings and public open space with access fro · Brunshaw · Thu 19 Feb 2026

Approved

FUL/2025/0641

Rebuilding of Barn for residential use (C3) with associated parking, hard and so · Cliviger With Worsthorne · Wed 18 Feb 2026

Approved

Showing 3 of 182 comparable decisions. See all 182 in the Pro Report →

What gets approved near your property?

In Burnley, 1 in 10 applications are refused. Your PlanningLens Pro Report gives you 17 pages of intelligence specific to your property:

✓ Ward-level approval rates for your exact area
✓ Common refusal reasons in Burnley
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect

Get Burnley Pro Report — £79

Less than one set of revised drawings. Based on 259 decisions.

Compare with nearby councils

Rossendale Blackpool Wyre Calderdale

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