Oldham planning approval rate

Oldham council approved 88.6% of planning applications and refused 11.4%, based on 6,836 decisions analysed. Ranked 81st out of 221 councils for strictness.

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

88.6%

overall approval rate

6,836

Decisions analysed

6,060

Approved

776

Refused

Wards covered

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

Full (4,991 decided)

89.7%

Other (931 decided)

86.5%

Advertisement (219 decided)

79.9%

Certificate of Lawfulness (201 decided)

90.0%

Discharge of Conditions (183 decided)

83.1%

Listed Building (175 decided)

89.1%

Prior Approval (136 decided)

84.6%

Approval rate by project type

These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Oldham — mined from 6,836 proposal descriptions.

Rear Extension (2,361 decided)

90.8%

Side Extension (1,281 decided)

90.3%

Garage / Parking (806 decided)

89.8%

Dormer (751 decided)

89.2%

Change of Use (Residential) (682 decided)

88.0%

Extension (General) (422 decided)

89.1%

New Build (302 decided)

80.5%

Front Extension (256 decided)

85.5%

Wraparound Extension (240 decided)

92.9%

Conservatory (156 decided)

94.9%

Outbuilding (145 decided)

84.1%

Loft Conversion (138 decided)

92.8%

HMO (87 decided)

89.7%

Hip-to-Gable Conversion (55 decided)

89.1%

Basement (50 decided)

92.0%

Flat Conversion (42 decided)

90.5%

Annex (31 decided)

90.3%

Approval rate by ward

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

Saddleworth North (726 decided)

86.2%

Saddleworth South (648 decided)

89.4%

Coldhurst (540 decided)

89.3%

Chadderton North (397 decided)

87.7%

Saint Mary's (386 decided)

90.9%

Werneth (379 decided)

84.4%

Chadderton Central (373 decided)

87.7%

Saddleworth West And Lees (323 decided)

89.2%

Failsworth East (314 decided)

90.8%

Royton North (292 decided)

90.4%

Chadderton South (285 decided)

89.5%

Royton South (272 decided)

91.9%

Shaw (272 decided)

88.2%

Failsworth West (257 decided)

94.2%

Medlock Vale (244 decided)

86.5%

Alexandra (234 decided)

88.5%

Hollinwood (218 decided)

80.7%

Crompton (211 decided)

91.5%

Waterhead (202 decided)

93.6%

Saint James' (196 decided)

87.8%

Wards in Oldham

Saddleworth North

86.2% approval · 726 decisions

Saddleworth South

89.4% approval · 648 decisions

Coldhurst

89.3% approval · 540 decisions

Chadderton North

87.7% approval · 397 decisions

Saint Mary's

90.9% approval · 386 decisions

Werneth

84.4% approval · 379 decisions

Chadderton Central

87.7% approval · 373 decisions

Saddleworth West And Lees

89.2% approval · 323 decisions

Failsworth East

90.8% approval · 314 decisions

Royton North

90.4% approval · 292 decisions

Chadderton South

89.5% approval · 285 decisions

Royton South

91.9% approval · 272 decisions

Shaw

88.2% approval · 272 decisions

Failsworth West

94.2% approval · 257 decisions

Medlock Vale

86.5% approval · 244 decisions

Alexandra

88.5% approval · 234 decisions

Hollinwood

80.7% approval · 218 decisions

Crompton

91.5% approval · 211 decisions

Waterhead

93.6% approval · 202 decisions

Saint James'

87.8% approval · 196 decisions

Recent comparable decisions

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

CEA/355526/26

Hipped roof to be converted to a gable end with the construction of a rear dorme · Royton South · Mon 02 Mar 2026

Approved

HOU/355515/25

Two storey side extension. · Chadderton Central · Mon 02 Mar 2026

Approved

HOU/355429/25

Two storey rear extension · Coldhurst · Mon 02 Mar 2026

Approved

Showing 3 of 200 comparable decisions. See all 200 in the Pro Report →

What gets approved near your property?

In Oldham, 1 in 9 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 Oldham
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect

Get Oldham Pro Report — £79

Less than one set of revised drawings. Based on 6,836 decisions.

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