South Ribble planning approval rate
South Ribble council approved 95.3% of planning applications and refused 4.7%, based on 4,251 decisions analysed. Ranked 241st out of 284 councils for strictness.
Last updated: June 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to present
95.3%
overall approval rate
4,251
Decisions analysed
4,051
Approved
200
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.
95.5%
91.4%
95.5%
95.8%
100.0%
98.5%
96.2%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in South Ribble, mined from 4,251 proposal descriptions.
98.2%
95.4%
97.1%
94.9%
89.7%
96.1%
90.4%
98.8%
97.6%
98.7%
98.4%
97.9%
91.3%
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
94.6%
New Longton and Hutton East
90.7%
Howick and Priory
98.9%
Samlesbury and Walton
96.8%
Hoole
97.2%
Broad Oak
96.4%
Moss Side
91.4%
Farington West
94.3%
Buckshaw and Worden
92.5%
Middleforth
95.5%
Bamber Bridge East
96.0%
Coupe Green and Gregson Lane
96.7%
Leyland Central
98.6%
Lostock Hall
96.9%
Farington East
96.8%
Seven Stars
99.0%
Walton-le-Dale West
95.7%
St Ambrose
95.6%
Walton-le-Dale East
90.9%
Charnock
96.6%
Wards in South Ribble
Longton and Hutton West
94.6% approval · 519 decisions
New Longton and Hutton East
90.7% approval · 420 decisions
Howick and Priory
98.9% approval · 380 decisions
Samlesbury and Walton
96.8% approval · 308 decisions
Hoole
97.2% approval · 281 decisions
Broad Oak
96.4% approval · 196 decisions
Moss Side
91.4% approval · 175 decisions
Farington West
94.3% approval · 174 decisions
Buckshaw and Worden
92.5% approval · 160 decisions
Middleforth
95.5% approval · 156 decisions
Bamber Bridge East
96.0% approval · 151 decisions
Coupe Green and Gregson Lane
96.7% approval · 150 decisions
Leyland Central
98.6% approval · 146 decisions
Lostock Hall
96.9% approval · 130 decisions
Farington East
96.8% approval · 124 decisions
Seven Stars
99.0% approval · 100 decisions
Walton-le-Dale West
95.7% approval · 92 decisions
St Ambrose
95.6% approval · 90 decisions
Walton-le-Dale East
90.9% approval · 88 decisions
Charnock
96.6% approval · 87 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in South Ribble, showing how the council decides real applications.
Two store rear extension following demolition of single storey rear extension · Lostock Hall · Fri 19 Jun 2026
Demolition of existing garage. Part double storey part single storey side/rear e · Middleforth · Thu 18 Jun 2026
Single storey front porch extension (Amended Description) · Howick and Priory · Wed 17 Jun 2026
Showing 3 of 200 comparable decisions. See all 200 in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In South Ribble, 1 in 21 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 4,251 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in South Ribble
What is the planning approval rate in South Ribble?
Based on 4,251 planning decisions analysed since 2020, South Ribble approved 95.3% of applications and refused 4.7%. The council is ranked 241st out of 284 UK councils for approval rate.
How many planning applications are refused in South Ribble?
South Ribble refuses 4.7% of planning applications, roughly 1 in 21. That is lower than the UK average of 11.7%. Out of 4,251 decided applications since 2020, 200 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 Seven Stars (99.0%), Howick and Priory (98.9%), and Leyland Central (98.6%). 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 (2,472 decisions, 95.5% approved), Other (730, 91.4%), and Certificate of Lawfulness (335, 99.7%).
How long does a planning application take in South Ribble?
Planning applications in South Ribble take an average of 9.7 weeks to reach a decision, measured across 4,230 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 708 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 4,251 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.