Oldham Council approves 89.5% of planning applications, based on 7,388 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. Oldham is closely in line with the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 1,060 decided applications, Oldham Council approved 89.0% of planning applications in 2025. Across 7,388 decisions analysed since January 2020, the overall approval rate in Oldham is 89.5%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Oldham council planning portal records · Updated August 2026 · Quote freely with attribution
Enter your postcode for a free, personalised approval pattern report, based on your ward and application type.
Not all applications are treated equally. Extension types, listed building consent, and change of use applications each have very different success rates in Oldham.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | 4,851 | 515 | 5,366 | 90.4% |
| Other | 876 | 128 | 1,004 | 87.3% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 227 | 20 | 247 | 91.9% |
| Advertisement | 200 | 44 | 244 | 82.0% |
| Listed Building | 176 | 19 | 195 | 90.3% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 163 | 31 | 194 | 84.0% |
| Prior Approval | 117 | 21 | 138 | 84.8% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saddleworth North | 674 | 101 | 775 | 87.0% |
| Saddleworth South | 621 | 69 | 690 | 90.0% |
| Coldhurst | 543 | 59 | 602 | 90.2% |
| Chadderton North | 381 | 49 | 430 | 88.6% |
| Saint Mary's | 388 | 35 | 423 | 91.7% |
| Chadderton Central | 359 | 46 | 405 | 88.6% |
| Werneth | 345 | 59 | 404 | 85.4% |
| Failsworth East | 315 | 29 | 344 | 91.6% |
| Saddleworth West And Lees | 302 | 35 | 337 | 89.6% |
| Royton North | 295 | 28 | 323 | 91.3% |
| Chadderton South | 286 | 30 | 316 | 90.5% |
| Shaw | 261 | 32 | 293 | 89.1% |
| Royton South | 269 | 22 | 291 | 92.4% |
| Failsworth West | 258 | 15 | 273 | 94.5% |
| Medlock Vale | 230 | 33 | 263 | 87.5% |
| Alexandra | 222 | 27 | 249 | 89.2% |
| Hollinwood | 195 | 42 | 237 | 82.3% |
| Crompton | 210 | 18 | 228 | 92.1% |
| Waterhead | 209 | 13 | 222 | 94.1% |
| Saint James' | 191 | 24 | 215 | 88.8% |
How Oldham’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, up 11.2pp since 2018.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from Oldham council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| HOU/356420/26 Chadderton Central | Two storey side and rear extension. | Approved |
| HOU/356362/26 Failsworth West | 1) Part two storey part single storey rear extension 2) Rear garden landscaping | Approved |
| HOU/356398/26 Chadderton South | 1) Single storey side extension 2) Front porch extension. | Approved |
| HOU/356124/26 Saddleworth South | Alterations to rear landscaping including reduction in level. | Approved |
| FUL/351068/23 Failsworth West | Demolition of vacant former funeral directors (Use Class E) and the erection of | Approved |
| HOU/356418/26 Hollinwood | Single storey rear extension | Approved |
| HOU/356303/26 Saddleworth South | 1) Erection of a rear dormer 2) Removal of chimney 3) Alterations to existing wi | Approved |
| HOU/356130/26 Royton South | Two storey side and rear extension, single storey rear extension, dormer window | Approved |
| HOU/356113/26 Failsworth West | Demolition of existing single storey side extension and erection of double store | Approved |
| FUL/356382/26 Hollinwood | Change of use from dwelling house (Class C3) to a children's care home (Class C2 | 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 Oldham's 7,388 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare Oldham's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
Dig deeper into Oldham'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 Oldham. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 7,388 real decisions from Oldham 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 Oldham'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 7,388 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Oldham is 89.5%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 7,388 planning decisions from Oldham council. 6,610 were approved and 778 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in Oldham is 89.5%, 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 Oldham? 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.