Sefton Council approves 88.7% of planning applications, based on 7,654 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. Sefton is closely in line with the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 1,500 decided applications, Sefton Council approved 90.1% of planning applications in 2025. Across 7,654 decisions on record (January 2022 to September 2026), the overall approval rate in Sefton is 88.7%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Sefton council planning portal records · Data to 9 September 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 Sefton.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | 3,934 | 328 | 4,262 | 92.3% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 951 | 184 | 1,135 | 83.8% |
| Other | 524 | 104 | 628 | 83.4% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 408 | 90 | 498 | 81.9% |
| Trees | 376 | 14 | 390 | 96.4% |
| Prior Approval | 259 | 110 | 369 | 70.2% |
| Advertisement | 188 | 32 | 220 | 85.5% |
| Listed Building | 148 | 4 | 152 | 97.4% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dukes | 751 | 104 | 855 | 87.8% |
| Harington | 696 | 74 | 770 | 90.4% |
| Blundellsands | 471 | 52 | 523 | 90.1% |
| Manor | 419 | 64 | 483 | 86.7% |
| Park | 389 | 48 | 437 | 89.0% |
| Ravenmeols | 395 | 29 | 424 | 93.2% |
| Birkdale | 336 | 41 | 377 | 89.1% |
| Meols | 337 | 33 | 370 | 91.1% |
| Church | 304 | 62 | 366 | 83.1% |
| Molyneux | 310 | 51 | 361 | 85.9% |
| Ainsdale | 303 | 26 | 329 | 92.1% |
| Sudell | 283 | 36 | 319 | 88.7% |
| Victoria | 252 | 29 | 281 | 89.7% |
| Cambridge | 212 | 20 | 232 | 91.4% |
| Norwood | 198 | 31 | 229 | 86.5% |
| Kew | 208 | 21 | 229 | 90.8% |
| Linacre | 185 | 33 | 218 | 84.9% |
| Netherton And Orrell | 183 | 26 | 209 | 87.6% |
| Derby | 147 | 40 | 187 | 78.6% |
| Litherland | 149 | 14 | 163 | 91.4% |
| Ford | 124 | 19 | 143 | 86.7% |
| St Oswald | 85 | 9 | 94 | 90.4% |
| Formby East | 5 | 0 | 5 | 100.0% |
| Maghull East | 3 | 2 | 5 | 60.0% |
| Formby West | 4 | 1 | 5 | 80.0% |
How Sefton’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, up 1.0pp since 2022.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from Sefton council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| DC/2026/01295 Church | Prior approval submission for a proposed rear extension projecting 4.0 metres fr | Refused |
| DC/2026/01298 Litherland | Single storey extension to the rear of detached property | Approved |
| DC/2026/01249 Harington | Replacement of existing balcony. | Approved |
| DC/2026/01256 Church | Erection of Single-Storey Extension to the Rear of the Dwellinghouse following D | Approved |
| DC/2026/01159 Harington | Proposed ground floor rear elevation extension, porch extension and new facade t | Approved |
| DC/2026/01220 Netherton And Orrell | Proposed erection of two storey extension to the front of the dwelling house, er | Approved |
| DC/2026/01215 Litherland | Erection of a single storey extension to the rear. | Approved |
| DC/2026/01078 Park | Erection of a part single, part two storey extension at the rear; a two storey e | Approved |
| DC/2026/01072 Birkdale | Demolition of the existing brick boundary wall and wrought iron railings to the | Approved |
| DC/2025/01670 Derby | Installation of a heat pump fenced compound located to the north of the site hou | 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 Sefton's 7,654 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare Sefton's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
Dig deeper into Sefton'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 Sefton. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 7,654 real decisions from Sefton 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 Sefton'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 7,654 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Sefton is 88.7%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 7,654 planning decisions from Sefton council. 6,788 were approved and 866 were refused. These figures cover every decision on record for the council, January 2022 to September 2026.
The average approval rate in Sefton is 88.7%, 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 Sefton? 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.