South Ribble planning approval rate
South Ribble council approved 95.4% of planning applications and refused 4.6%, based on 4,395 decisions analysed. Ranked 252nd out of 292 councils for strictness.
Last updated: August 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to August 2026
95.4%
overall approval rate
4,395
Decisions analysed
4,193
Approved
202
Refused
23
Wards covered
Planning in South Ribble? 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 South Ribble. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.
95.6%
91.7%
95.4%
95.9%
100.0%
98.6%
96.3%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in South Ribble, mined from 4,395 proposal descriptions.
98.3%
95.5%
97.2%
95.0%
90.2%
96.2%
90.8%
98.9%
97.7%
98.7%
98.5%
98.0%
92.3%
91.7%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within South Ribble. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
Longton and Hutton West
94.8%
New Longton and Hutton East
91.1%
Howick and Priory
99.0%
Samlesbury and Walton
96.8%
Hoole
96.9%
Broad Oak
96.6%
Moss Side
91.7%
Farington West
94.5%
Buckshaw and Worden
92.7%
Bamber Bridge East
96.2%
Middleforth
95.5%
Leyland Central
98.7%
Coupe Green and Gregson Lane
96.7%
Lostock Hall
97.0%
Farington East
96.9%
Seven Stars
98.1%
Walton-le-Dale West
95.8%
St Ambrose
95.7%
Walton-le-Dale East
91.2%
Charnock
96.6%
Wards in South Ribble
Longton and Hutton West
94.8% approval · 534 decisions
New Longton and Hutton East
91.1% approval · 437 decisions
Howick and Priory
99.0% approval · 393 decisions
Samlesbury and Walton
96.8% approval · 317 decisions
Hoole
96.9% approval · 289 decisions
Broad Oak
96.6% approval · 206 decisions
Moss Side
91.7% approval · 181 decisions
Farington West
94.5% approval · 181 decisions
Buckshaw and Worden
92.7% approval · 165 decisions
Bamber Bridge East
96.2% approval · 158 decisions
Middleforth
95.5% approval · 157 decisions
Leyland Central
98.7% approval · 156 decisions
Coupe Green and Gregson Lane
96.7% approval · 153 decisions
Lostock Hall
97.0% approval · 133 decisions
Farington East
96.9% approval · 129 decisions
Seven Stars
98.1% approval · 105 decisions
Walton-le-Dale West
95.8% approval · 96 decisions
St Ambrose
95.7% approval · 94 decisions
Walton-le-Dale East
91.2% approval · 91 decisions
Charnock
96.6% approval · 89 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in South Ribble, showing how the council decides real applications.
Plot 16/17Oak Treetrees overhanging garden ,require pruning back for light and o · Coupe Green and Gregson Lane · Fri 21 Aug 2026
Single storey rear extension · Charnock · Thu 20 Aug 2026
Following demolition of existing dwelling & associated outbuildings, erection of · Hoole · Thu 20 Aug 2026
Showing 3 recent comparable decisions. See more in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In South Ribble, 1 in 22 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 South Ribble
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for South Ribble →
✓ Common refusal reasons in South Ribble
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free. Based on 4,395 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in South Ribble
What is the planning approval rate in South Ribble?
Based on 4,395 planning decisions analysed since 2020, South Ribble approved 95.4% of applications and refused 4.6%. The council is ranked 252nd out of 292 UK councils for approval rate.
How many planning applications are refused in South Ribble?
South Ribble refuses 4.6% of planning applications, roughly 1 in 22. That is lower than the UK average of 11.4%. Out of 4,395 decided applications since 2020, 202 were refused. PlanningLens lets you check any postcode to see which applications were refused near a specific property.
Which areas of South Ribble have the highest planning approval rates?
The highest approval rates in South Ribble are in Howick and Priory (99.0%), Leyland Central (98.7%), and Seven Stars (98.1%). Approval rates vary significantly by ward, see the full ward breakdown above.
What types of planning application are most common in South Ribble?
The most common planning application types in South Ribble are: Full (2,546 decisions, 95.6% approved), Other (755, 91.7%), and Certificate of Lawfulness (350, 99.7%).
How long does a planning application take in South Ribble?
Planning applications in South Ribble take an average of 9.8 weeks to reach a decision, measured across 4,375 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. South Ribble decides approximately 732 planning applications per year.
How do I check planning applications in South Ribble?
You can search planning applications in South Ribble directly on the council's official planning portal. PlanningLens also lets you check any postcode against 4,395 historical decisions in South Ribble to see what's been approved and refused near a specific property.
How is PlanningLens approval rate data for South Ribble calculated?
PlanningLens scrapes South Ribble'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.