Sandwell planning approval rate
Sandwell council approved 93.2% of planning applications and refused 6.8%, based on 6,733 decisions analysed. Ranked 187th out of 284 councils for strictness.
Last updated: June 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to present
93.2%
overall approval rate
6,733
Decisions analysed
6,273
Approved
460
Refused
31
Wards covered
Planning in Sandwell? 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 Sandwell. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.
93.3%
93.9%
90.7%
98.8%
87.1%
100.0%
78.6%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Sandwell, mined from 6,733 proposal descriptions.
93.2%
94.0%
91.2%
95.5%
91.1%
93.8%
85.6%
95.5%
92.2%
91.4%
88.7%
100.0%
100.0%
94.7%
90.0%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Sandwell. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
West Bromwich Central
94.1%
Oldbury
94.6%
St Pauls
94.5%
Greets Green & Lyng
90.7%
Old Warley
92.4%
Wednesbury South
95.0%
Bristnall
93.9%
Charlemont With Grove Vale
88.8%
Newton
90.6%
Smethwick
94.6%
Soho & Victoria
92.6%
Cradley Heath & Old Hill
92.9%
Tipton Green
95.1%
Great Barr With Yew Tree
94.3%
Hateley Heath
93.8%
Great Bridge
93.8%
Wednesbury North
93.2%
Abbey
91.1%
Langley
92.1%
Blackheath
91.1%
Wards in Sandwell
West Bromwich Central
94.1% approval · 456 decisions
Oldbury
94.6% approval · 424 decisions
St Pauls
94.5% approval · 397 decisions
Greets Green & Lyng
90.7% approval · 344 decisions
Old Warley
92.4% approval · 330 decisions
Wednesbury South
95.0% approval · 317 decisions
Bristnall
93.9% approval · 312 decisions
Charlemont With Grove Vale
88.8% approval · 286 decisions
Newton
90.6% approval · 286 decisions
Smethwick
94.6% approval · 276 decisions
Soho & Victoria
92.6% approval · 270 decisions
Cradley Heath & Old Hill
92.9% approval · 268 decisions
Tipton Green
95.1% approval · 267 decisions
Great Barr With Yew Tree
94.3% approval · 263 decisions
Hateley Heath
93.8% approval · 256 decisions
Great Bridge
93.8% approval · 256 decisions
Wednesbury North
93.2% approval · 249 decisions
Abbey
91.1% approval · 248 decisions
Langley
92.1% approval · 227 decisions
Blackheath
91.1% approval · 214 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in Sandwell, showing how the council decides real applications.
Proposed single storey rear extension: measuring 6.00m L x 3.85m H (2.60m to eav · Greets Green & Lyng · Mon 22 Jun 2026
Proposed front porch. · Tipton Green · Mon 22 Jun 2026
Demolition of existing garage and proposed two storey side and single storey rea · Hateley Heath · Mon 22 Jun 2026
Showing 3 of 200 comparable decisions. See all 200 in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In Sandwell, 1 in 15 applications are refused. Your PlanningLens Full Planning Analysis gives you 17 pages of intelligence specific to your property:
✓ Ward-level approval rates for your exact area
✓ Common refusal reasons in Sandwell
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for Sandwell →
✓ Common refusal reasons in Sandwell
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free. Based on 6,733 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in Sandwell
What is the planning approval rate in Sandwell?
Based on 6,733 planning decisions analysed since 2020, Sandwell approved 93.2% of applications and refused 6.8%. The council is ranked 187th out of 284 UK councils for approval rate.
How many planning applications are refused in Sandwell?
Sandwell refuses 6.8% of planning applications, roughly 1 in 15. That is lower than the UK average of 11.7%. Out of 6,733 decided applications since 2020, 460 were refused. PlanningLens lets you check any postcode to see which applications were refused near a specific property.
Which areas of Sandwell have the highest planning approval rates?
The highest approval rates in Sandwell are in Tipton Green (95.1%), Wednesbury South (95.0%), and Princes End (95.0%). Approval rates vary significantly by ward, see the full ward breakdown above.
What types of planning application are most common in Sandwell?
The most common planning application types in Sandwell are: Full (3,144 decisions, 93.3% approved), Other (1,379, 93.9%), and Prior Approval (1,118, 90.7%).
How long does a planning application take in Sandwell?
Planning applications in Sandwell take an average of 8.4 weeks to reach a decision, measured across 379 decisions with a recorded timeline. That is slower than the 8-week statutory target for householder applications (the statutory targets are 8 weeks for householder applications and 13 weeks for major developments). PlanningLens measures the actual time each application takes, not just the target. Sandwell decides approximately 1,122 planning applications per year.
How do I check planning applications in Sandwell?
You can search planning applications in Sandwell directly on the council's official planning portal. PlanningLens also lets you check any postcode against 6,733 historical decisions in Sandwell to see what's been approved and refused near a specific property.
How is PlanningLens approval rate data for Sandwell calculated?
PlanningLens scrapes Sandwell's official planning portal and analyses every published decision since January 2020. The approval rate is calculated as approved decisions divided by total decided applications, excluding withdrawn and pending applications. The full methodology, data sourcing, and Creative Commons BY 4.0 licensing terms are published at planninglens.co.uk/methodology.