Sandwell Council approves 93.2% of planning applications, based on 6,733 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.3%. Sandwell sits 4.9 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 6,733 decisions analysed since January 2020, the overall approval rate in Sandwell is 93.2%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.3%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Sandwell council planning portal records · Updated June 2026 · Quote freely with attribution
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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 | 2,932 | 212 | 3,144 | 93.3% |
| Other | 1,295 | 84 | 1,379 | 93.9% |
| Prior Approval | 1,014 | 104 | 1,118 | 90.7% |
| Advertisement | 508 | 6 | 514 | 98.8% |
| Change of Use | 283 | 42 | 325 | 87.1% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 196 | 6 | 202 | 97.0% |
| Listed Building | 33 | 0 | 33 | 100.0% |
| Trees | 11 | 3 | 14 | 78.6% |
| 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 | 429 | 27 | 456 | 94.1% |
| Oldbury | 401 | 23 | 424 | 94.6% |
| St Pauls | 375 | 22 | 397 | 94.5% |
| Greets Green & Lyng | 312 | 32 | 344 | 90.7% |
| Old Warley | 305 | 25 | 330 | 92.4% |
| Wednesbury South | 301 | 16 | 317 | 95.0% |
| Bristnall | 293 | 19 | 312 | 93.9% |
| Charlemont With Grove Vale | 254 | 32 | 286 | 88.8% |
| Newton | 259 | 27 | 286 | 90.6% |
| Smethwick | 261 | 15 | 276 | 94.6% |
| Soho & Victoria | 250 | 20 | 270 | 92.6% |
| Cradley Heath & Old Hill | 249 | 19 | 268 | 92.9% |
| Tipton Green | 254 | 13 | 267 | 95.1% |
| Great Barr With Yew Tree | 248 | 15 | 263 | 94.3% |
| Hateley Heath | 240 | 16 | 256 | 93.8% |
| Great Bridge | 240 | 16 | 256 | 93.8% |
| Wednesbury North | 232 | 17 | 249 | 93.2% |
| Abbey | 226 | 22 | 248 | 91.1% |
| Langley | 209 | 18 | 227 | 92.1% |
| Blackheath | 195 | 19 | 214 | 91.1% |
| Tividale | 195 | 17 | 212 | 92.0% |
| Rowley | 165 | 10 | 175 | 94.3% |
| Friar Park | 141 | 11 | 152 | 92.8% |
| Princes End | 113 | 6 | 119 | 95.0% |
| Hill Top | 21 | 0 | 21 | 100.0% |
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, down 0.5pp 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 |
|---|---|---|
| PD/26/03228 Greets Green & Lyng | Proposed single storey rear extension: measuring 6.00m L x 3.85m H (2.60m to eav | Approved |
| DC/26/71692 Tipton Green | Proposed front porch. | Approved |
| DC/26/71671 Hateley Heath | Demolition of existing garage and proposed two storey side and single storey rea | Approved |
| DC/26/71660 Old Warley | Proposed single storey rear extension. | Approved |
| DC/26/6994A West Bromwich Central | Retention of externally-illuminated fascia signs to front and rear. | Approved |
| PD/26/03243 Bristnall | Proposed single storey rear extension: measuring 6.00m L x 4.00m H (3.00m to eav | Approved |
| DC/26/71721 Tipton Green | Proposed front porch. | Approved |
| DC/26/71720 Hateley Heath | Proposed single storey side/rear extension. | Approved |
| DC/26/71713 Friar Park & Stone Cross | Proposed single storey side and rear extension. | Approved |
| PD/26/03204 Great Barr Tamebridge & Yew Tree | Proposed first floor extension above kitchen. | Refused |
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 6,733 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 6,733 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 6,733 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Sandwell is 93.2%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.3%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 6,733 planning decisions from Sandwell council. 6,273 were approved and 460 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in Sandwell is 93.2%, 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.
Writing about planning in Sandwell? These figures are free to republish with attribution. Copy the one-line citation, or paste the stat box into any website, CMS or newsletter, it carries its own styling and links back to this page for verification.