Halton Council approves 96.4% of planning applications, based on 2,278 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. Halton sits 7.8 percentage points above the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 416 decided applications, Halton Council approved 94.7% of planning applications in 2025. Across 2,278 decisions analysed since January 2020, the overall approval rate in Halton is 96.4%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Halton council planning portal records · Updated August 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 Halton.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | 1,287 | 35 | 1,322 | 97.4% |
| Other | 265 | 12 | 277 | 95.7% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 165 | 5 | 170 | 97.1% |
| Trees | 153 | 4 | 157 | 97.5% |
| Change of Use | 101 | 17 | 118 | 85.6% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 92 | 3 | 95 | 96.8% |
| Advertisement | 65 | 4 | 69 | 94.2% |
| Listed Building | 41 | 1 | 42 | 97.6% |
| Prior Approval | 28 | 0 | 28 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ditton, Hale Village & Halebank | 213 | 20 | 233 | 91.4% |
| Daresbury, Moore & Sandymoor | 223 | 7 | 230 | 97.0% |
| Birchfield | 205 | 8 | 213 | 96.2% |
| Farnworth | 204 | 3 | 207 | 98.6% |
| Beechwood & Heath | 167 | 5 | 172 | 97.1% |
| Halton View | 148 | 9 | 157 | 94.3% |
| Mersey & Weston | 137 | 2 | 139 | 98.6% |
| Central & West Bank | 122 | 4 | 126 | 96.8% |
| Appleton | 107 | 9 | 116 | 92.2% |
| Highfield | 109 | 2 | 111 | 98.2% |
| Norton South & Preston Brook | 88 | 0 | 88 | 100.0% |
| Halton Castle | 81 | 0 | 81 | 100.0% |
| Hough Green | 66 | 2 | 68 | 97.1% |
| Bankfield | 62 | 4 | 66 | 93.9% |
| Norton North | 60 | 1 | 61 | 98.4% |
| Halton Lea | 53 | 1 | 54 | 98.1% |
| Grange | 52 | 2 | 54 | 96.3% |
| Bridgewater | 50 | 2 | 52 | 96.2% |
| Adjoining Authority Consultation | 22 | 0 | 22 | 100.0% |
| Ditton | 7 | 0 | 7 | 100.0% |
| Daresbury | 5 | 0 | 5 | 100.0% |
| Mersey | 5 | 0 | 5 | 100.0% |
How Halton’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, down 3.0pp since 2021.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from Halton council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| 26/00085/FUL Ditton, Hale Village & Halebank | Proposed retrospective erection of ancillary storage building, anchored to an ex | Approved |
| 26/00235/FUL Ditton, Hale Village & Halebank | Proposed single storey side extension at | Refused |
| 26/00206/FUL Ditton, Hale Village & Halebank | Proposed single storey rear extension to existing detached garage to provide ann | Approved |
| 26/00266/FUL Bridgewater | Proposed attached garage to the side of the property at | Approved |
| 26/00227/FUL Central & West Bank | Proposed demolition of existing outrigger and conservatory and erection of a sin | Approved |
| 26/00201/FUL Daresbury, Moore & Sandymoor | Proposed demolition of existing rear extension and outbuilding and construction | Approved |
| 26/00187/LBC Beechwood & Heath | Application for Listed building consent for the replacement of 4 No. existing si | Approved |
| 26/00186/FUL Beechwood & Heath | Proposed replacement of 4 No. existing single glazed timber sash windows with do | Approved |
| 26/00002/COU Grange | Proposed change of use from Public House (Use Class Sui Generis) to Convenience | Approved |
| 26/00083/COU Halton Castle | Retrospective change of use from warehouse (Use Class B8) to a bar/pool and dart | 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 Halton's 2,278 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare Halton's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
Dig deeper into Halton'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 Halton. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 2,278 real decisions from Halton 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 Halton'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 2,278 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Halton is 96.4%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 2,278 planning decisions from Halton council. 2,197 were approved and 81 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in Halton is 96.4%, 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 Halton? 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.