Sandwell Council approves 92.9% of planning applications, based on 6,354 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 87.9%. Sandwell sits 5.0 percentage points above the national average.
Enter your postcode for a personalised approval likelihood score — 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 | 2,732 | 212 | 2,944 | 92.8% |
| Other | 1,272 | 84 | 1,356 | 93.8% |
| Prior Approval | 939 | 95 | 1,034 | 90.8% |
| Advertisement | 493 | 6 | 499 | 98.8% |
| Change of Use | 256 | 42 | 298 | 85.9% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 170 | 5 | 175 | 97.1% |
| Listed Building | 32 | 0 | 32 | 100.0% |
| Trees | 9 | 3 | 12 | 75.0% |
| 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.
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 | 404 | 26 | 430 | 94.0% |
| Oldbury | 384 | 23 | 407 | 94.3% |
| St Pauls | 361 | 22 | 383 | 94.3% |
| Greets Green & Lyng | 296 | 32 | 328 | 90.2% |
| Wednesbury South | 301 | 16 | 317 | 95.0% |
| Old Warley | 280 | 23 | 303 | 92.4% |
| Bristnall | 280 | 19 | 299 | 93.6% |
| Charlemont With Grove Vale | 254 | 32 | 286 | 88.8% |
| Newton | 259 | 27 | 286 | 90.6% |
| Great Barr With Yew Tree | 248 | 15 | 263 | 94.3% |
| Soho & Victoria | 239 | 19 | 258 | 92.6% |
| Cradley Heath & Old Hill | 237 | 19 | 256 | 92.6% |
| Smethwick | 237 | 13 | 250 | 94.8% |
| Tipton Green | 237 | 13 | 250 | 94.8% |
| Wednesbury North | 232 | 17 | 249 | 93.2% |
| Abbey | 226 | 22 | 248 | 91.1% |
| Great Bridge | 225 | 16 | 241 | 93.4% |
| Hateley Heath | 220 | 15 | 235 | 93.6% |
| Langley | 199 | 18 | 217 | 91.7% |
| Blackheath | 185 | 19 | 204 | 90.7% |
| Tividale | 181 | 16 | 197 | 91.9% |
| Rowley | 154 | 10 | 164 | 93.9% |
| Friar Park | 141 | 11 | 152 | 92.8% |
| Princes End | 110 | 6 | 116 | 94.8% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| PD/26/03168 Tipton Green | Proposed demolition of properties. | Approved |
| DC/26/71455 Abbey | Proposed single storey rear extension. | Approved |
| PD/26/03155 Wednesbury South | Proposed single storey rear extension measuring: 5.5m L x 2.9m H (2.9m to eaves) | Approved |
| PD/26/03152 Old Warley | Proposed single storey rear extension measuring: 5.00m L x 3.00m H (3.00m to eav | Approved |
| PD/26/03151 Blackheath | Proposed single storey rear extension measuring: 4.4m L x 2.9m H (2.9m to eaves) | Approved |
| PD/26/03146 Langley | Proposed single storey rear extension measuring: 4.0m L x 3.1m H (2.9m to eaves) | Approved |
| DC/26/71393 Rowley | Proposed single storey side extension. | Approved |
| DC/26/71382 Rowley | Proposed single storey side and rear extensions and loft extension and rear dorm | Approved |
| PD/26/03141 Wednesbury South | Proposed single storey rear extension measuring: 4.00m L x 3.60m H (2.40m to eav | Approved |
| PD/26/03139 Abbey | Proposed change of use from retail shop to 1 No. self-contained apartment. | Refused |
Find out what actually gets approved near your address first. Your Pro Report analyses the 20 nearest decisions to your property, ward-specific refusal patterns, and extension-by-extension approval patterns. Based on Sandwell's 6,354 real decisions. Delivered by email in minutes.
Get My Pro Report — £79Compare 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:
Based on 6,354 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Sandwell is 92.9%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 87.9%. However, rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 6,354 planning decisions from Sandwell council. 5,904 were approved and 450 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in Sandwell is 92.9%, but outcomes depend heavily on your specific ward, the type of extension or development you are proposing, and local planning policy. Use the PlanningLens free postcode check to get a personalised score.