Sefton planning approval rate

Sefton council approved 87.5% of planning applications and refused 12.5%, based on 6,453 decisions analysed. Ranked 65th out of 221 councils for strictness.

Last updated: March 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to present

87.5%

overall approval rate

6,453

Decisions analysed

5,644

Approved

809

Refused

Wards covered

Planning in Sefton? 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 Sefton. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.

Full (3,817 decided)

91.7%

Discharge of Conditions (975 decided)

82.2%

Other (569 decided)

84.2%

Trees (341 decided)

97.1%

Prior Approval (330 decided)

69.1%

Advertisement (199 decided)

85.9%

Listed Building (139 decided)

94.2%

Certificate of Lawfulness (83 decided)

1.2%

Approval rate by project type

These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Sefton — mined from 6,453 proposal descriptions.

Extension (General) (1,770 decided)

93.3%

Garage / Parking (842 decided)

91.2%

Change of Use (Residential) (473 decided)

71.5%

Dormer (438 decided)

92.2%

Rear Extension (426 decided)

88.7%

Conservatory (356 decided)

97.5%

New Build (316 decided)

84.5%

Outbuilding (273 decided)

90.1%

Side Extension (162 decided)

95.1%

Flat Conversion (78 decided)

74.4%

Loft Conversion (60 decided)

93.3%

HMO (54 decided)

29.6%

Annex (40 decided)

95.0%

Hip-to-Gable Conversion (39 decided)

100.0%

Basement (36 decided)

86.1%

Wraparound Extension (32 decided)

100.0%

Front Extension (26 decided)

96.2%

Approval rate by ward

Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Sefton. Click any ward for detailed statistics.

Dukes Ward (757 decided)

87.1%

Harington Ward (644 decided)

89.0%

Blundellsands Ward (456 decided)

89.7%

Manor Ward (422 decided)

86.3%

Park Ward (377 decided)

87.3%

Ravenmeols Ward (365 decided)

92.1%

Meols Ward (324 decided)

90.4%

Church Ward (310 decided)

81.6%

Birkdale Ward (310 decided)

88.1%

Molyneux Ward (295 decided)

84.1%

Ainsdale Ward (283 decided)

91.9%

Sudell Ward (264 decided)

86.7%

Victoria Ward (231 decided)

87.9%

Cambridge Ward (198 decided)

90.4%

Norwood Ward (197 decided)

83.8%

Kew Ward (192 decided)

89.1%

Netherton And Orrell Ward (165 decided)

84.8%

Linacre Ward (165 decided)

82.4%

Derby Ward (159 decided)

76.7%

Litherland Ward (123 decided)

91.1%

Wards in Sefton

Dukes Ward

87.1% approval · 757 decisions

Harington Ward

89.0% approval · 644 decisions

Blundellsands Ward

89.7% approval · 456 decisions

Manor Ward

86.3% approval · 422 decisions

Park Ward

87.3% approval · 377 decisions

Ravenmeols Ward

92.1% approval · 365 decisions

Meols Ward

90.4% approval · 324 decisions

Church Ward

81.6% approval · 310 decisions

Birkdale Ward

88.1% approval · 310 decisions

Molyneux Ward

84.1% approval · 295 decisions

Ainsdale Ward

91.9% approval · 283 decisions

Sudell Ward

86.7% approval · 264 decisions

Victoria Ward

87.9% approval · 231 decisions

Cambridge Ward

90.4% approval · 198 decisions

Norwood Ward

83.8% approval · 197 decisions

Kew Ward

89.1% approval · 192 decisions

Netherton And Orrell Ward

84.8% approval · 165 decisions

Linacre Ward

82.4% approval · 165 decisions

Derby Ward

76.7% approval · 159 decisions

Litherland Ward

91.1% approval · 123 decisions

Recent comparable decisions

The most recent residential planning decisions in Sefton, showing how the council decides real applications.

DC/2026/00097

Prior approval submission for a proposed rear extension projecting 4.0 metres fr · Derby Ward · Wed 04 Mar 2026

Approved

DC/2026/00065

Proposed Single Storey Extension to Front and Side of Dwelling · Harington Ward · Wed 04 Mar 2026

Approved

DC/2025/02057

Single storey extension to side and porch extension to front · Ainsdale Ward · Wed 04 Mar 2026

Approved

Showing 3 of 200 comparable decisions. See all 200 in the Pro Report →

What gets approved near your property?

In Sefton, 1 in 8 applications are refused. Your PlanningLens Pro Report gives you 17 pages of intelligence specific to your property:

✓ Ward-level approval rates for your exact area
✓ Common refusal reasons in Sefton
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect

Get Sefton Pro Report — £79

Less than one set of revised drawings. Based on 6,453 decisions.

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