Sandwell Council approves 93.0% of planning applications, based on 6,061 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. Sandwell sits 8.0 percentage points above the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 287 decided applications, Sandwell Council approved 89.9% of planning applications in 2025. Across 6,061 decisions on record (March 2006 to September 2026), the overall approval rate in Sandwell is 93.0%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Sandwell council planning portal records · Data to 28 September 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 Sandwell.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | 3,174 | 212 | 3,386 | 93.7% |
| Other | 1,310 | 85 | 1,395 | 93.9% |
| Prior Approval | 1,075 | 112 | 1,187 | 90.6% |
| Advertisement | 517 | 6 | 523 | 98.9% |
| Change of Use | 319 | 42 | 361 | 88.4% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 226 | 7 | 233 | 97.0% |
| Listed Building | 34 | 0 | 34 | 100.0% |
| Trees | 15 | 3 | 18 | 83.3% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 1 | 3 | 4 | 25.0% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Bromwich Central | 448 | 29 | 477 | 93.9% |
| Oldbury | 420 | 23 | 443 | 94.8% |
| St Pauls | 394 | 23 | 417 | 94.5% |
| Greets Green & Lyng | 332 | 33 | 365 | 91.0% |
| Old Warley | 318 | 26 | 344 | 92.4% |
| Bristnall | 312 | 20 | 332 | 94.0% |
| Wednesbury South | 301 | 16 | 317 | 95.0% |
| Smethwick | 280 | 15 | 295 | 94.9% |
| Soho & Victoria | 272 | 20 | 292 | 93.2% |
| Cradley Heath & Old Hill | 268 | 20 | 288 | 93.1% |
| Charlemont With Grove Vale | 254 | 32 | 286 | 88.8% |
| Newton | 259 | 27 | 286 | 90.6% |
| Tipton Green | 271 | 13 | 284 | 95.4% |
| Hateley Heath | 259 | 17 | 276 | 93.8% |
| Great Bridge | 256 | 16 | 272 | 94.1% |
| Great Barr With Yew Tree | 248 | 15 | 263 | 94.3% |
| Wednesbury North | 232 | 17 | 249 | 93.2% |
| Abbey | 226 | 22 | 248 | 91.1% |
| Langley | 219 | 18 | 237 | 92.4% |
| Blackheath | 211 | 19 | 230 | 91.7% |
| Tividale | 212 | 18 | 230 | 92.2% |
| Rowley | 178 | 10 | 188 | 94.7% |
| Friar Park | 141 | 11 | 152 | 92.8% |
| Princes End | 120 | 6 | 126 | 95.2% |
| Hill Top | 41 | 1 | 42 | 97.6% |
Showing top 25 of 31 wards by volume. Your free property report includes the full ward breakdown.
See full ward breakdown →How Sandwell’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, up 0.3pp since 2018.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from Sandwell council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| DC/26/71987 Bristnall | Proposed single storey side and rear extension. | Approved |
| DC/26/71819 Tividale | Proposed single storey side and rear extensions. | Approved |
| PD/26/03329 Bristnall | Proposed single storey rear extension measuring: 4.50m L x 3.30m H (3.00m to eav | Refused |
| PD/26/03324 Tipton Green | Proposed single storey rear extension measuring: 6.00m L x 3.65m H (2.50m to eav | Approved |
| DC/26/71992 Great Bridge | Proposed single storey rear extension. | Approved |
| DC/26/71989 Greets Green & Lyng | Proposed garage conversion to habitable room. | Approved |
| DC/26/71862 West Bromwich Central | Proposed change of use from Betting Shop (Sui Generis) to Adult Gaming Centre (S | Approved |
| DC/26/71634 Wednesbury | Proposed 30 unit residential development. | Approved |
| PD/26/03320 Great Barr Tamebridge & Yew Tree | Proposed single storey rear extension measuring: 4.50m L x 2.77m H (2.42m to eav | Approved |
| PD/26/03322 Great Barr Tamebridge & Yew Tree | Proposed single storey rear extension measuring: 4.00m L x 3.70m H (2.99m to eav | 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 Sandwell's 6,061 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare Sandwell's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
Dig deeper into Sandwell'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 Sandwell. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 6,061 real decisions from Sandwell 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 Sandwell'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 6,061 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Sandwell is 93.0%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 6,061 planning decisions from Sandwell council. 5,634 were approved and 427 were refused. These figures cover every decision on record for the council, March 2006 to September 2026.
The average approval rate in Sandwell is 93.0%, 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.
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