Sandwell planning approval rate
Sandwell council approved 93.4% of planning applications and refused 6.6%, based on 7,050 decisions analysed. Ranked 199th out of 292 councils for strictness.
Last updated: August 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to August 2026
93.4%
overall approval rate
7,050
Decisions analysed
6,584
Approved
466
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.
93.7%
93.9%
90.7%
98.8%
88.1%
100.0%
83.3%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Sandwell, mined from 7,050 proposal descriptions.
93.4%
94.5%
91.9%
95.5%
91.1%
94.4%
87.3%
95.9%
92.9%
92.7%
88.7%
100.0%
96.9%
96.4%
91.7%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Sandwell. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
West Bromwich Central
93.9%
Oldbury
94.8%
St Pauls
94.7%
Greets Green & Lyng
91.1%
Old Warley
92.4%
Bristnall
94.2%
Wednesbury South
95.0%
Smethwick
94.9%
Charlemont With Grove Vale
88.8%
Newton
90.6%
Soho & Victoria
93.0%
Cradley Heath & Old Hill
93.3%
Tipton Green
95.4%
Hateley Heath
93.8%
Great Bridge
94.1%
Great Barr With Yew Tree
94.3%
Wednesbury North
93.2%
Abbey
91.1%
Langley
92.4%
Blackheath
91.6%
Wards in Sandwell
West Bromwich Central
93.9% approval · 474 decisions
Oldbury
94.8% approval · 440 decisions
St Pauls
94.7% approval · 412 decisions
Greets Green & Lyng
91.1% approval · 360 decisions
Old Warley
92.4% approval · 340 decisions
Bristnall
94.2% approval · 326 decisions
Wednesbury South
95.0% approval · 317 decisions
Smethwick
94.9% approval · 293 decisions
Charlemont With Grove Vale
88.8% approval · 286 decisions
Newton
90.6% approval · 286 decisions
Soho & Victoria
93.0% approval · 286 decisions
Cradley Heath & Old Hill
93.3% approval · 285 decisions
Tipton Green
95.4% approval · 280 decisions
Hateley Heath
93.8% approval · 276 decisions
Great Bridge
94.1% approval · 269 decisions
Great Barr With Yew Tree
94.3% approval · 263 decisions
Wednesbury North
93.2% approval · 249 decisions
Abbey
91.1% approval · 248 decisions
Langley
92.4% approval · 236 decisions
Blackheath
91.6% approval · 227 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 4.50m L x 3.70m H (2.40m to eav · Great Barr Tamebridge & Yew Tree · Thu 20 Aug 2026
Conversion of part of the existing dwellinghouse to form 1 self-contained studio · St Pauls · Thu 20 Aug 2026
Retention of single storey side/rear extension. · Tividale · Thu 20 Aug 2026
Showing 3 recent comparable decisions. See more 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 7,050 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in Sandwell
What is the planning approval rate in Sandwell?
Based on 7,050 planning decisions analysed since 2020, Sandwell approved 93.4% of applications and refused 6.6%. The council is ranked 199th out of 292 UK councils for approval rate.
How many planning applications are refused in Sandwell?
Sandwell refuses 6.6% of planning applications, roughly 1 in 15. That is lower than the UK average of 11.4%. Out of 7,050 decided applications since 2020, 466 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 (95.4%), Princes End (95.2%), and Wednesbury South (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 (3,348 decisions, 93.7% approved), Other (1,390, 93.9%), and Prior Approval (1,160, 90.7%).
How long does a planning application take in Sandwell?
Planning applications in Sandwell take an average of 9.1 weeks to reach a decision, measured across 696 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 1,175 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 7,050 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.