St Helens Council approves – of planning applications, based on 283 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. St Helens is closely in line with the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 283 decided applications on record (July 2010 to September 2026), St Helens Council approved – of planning applications. The national average approval rate across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of St Helens council planning portal records · Data to 11 September 2026 · Quote freely with attribution
Enter your postcode for a free, personalised approval pattern report, based on your ward and application type.
Not all applications are treated equally. Extension types, listed building consent, and change of use applications each have very different success rates in St Helens.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | – | – | 253 | – |
| Discharge of Conditions | – | – | 117 | – |
| Other | – | – | 73 | – |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | – | – | 43 | – |
| Advertisement | – | – | 19 | – |
| Prior Approval | – | – | 11 | – |
| Trees | – | – | 8 | – |
| Listed Building | – | – | 5 | – |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Town Centre | – | – | 63 | – |
| Newton East | – | – | 52 | – |
| Rainhill | – | – | 49 | – |
| Bold And Lea Green | – | – | 45 | – |
| Eccleston | – | – | 43 | – |
| Rainford | – | – | 42 | – |
| Windle | – | – | 35 | – |
| Haydock | – | – | 31 | – |
| Billinge And Seneley Green | – | – | 25 | – |
| Newton West | – | – | 21 | – |
| Peasley Cross & Fingerpost | – | – | 21 | – |
| Moss Bank | – | – | 20 | – |
| Sutton North West | – | – | 18 | – |
| West Park | – | – | 15 | – |
| Blackbrook | – | – | 13 | – |
| Sutton South East | – | – | 11 | – |
| Thatto Heath | – | – | 11 | – |
| Parr | – | – | 9 | – |
Real residential planning decisions from St Helens council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| P/2026/0358/HHFP Billinge And Seneley Green | Two storey side extension. | Approved |
| P/2026/0350/HHFP Moss Bank | Erection of garden annexe, covered outdoor kitchen, raised patio & canopy to the | Approved |
| P/2026/0367/HHFP Sutton South East | Demolition of existing conservatory and erection of a new single storey side ext | Approved |
| P/2026/0362/HHFP Rainford | Single storey rear extension. | Approved |
| P/2026/0250/FUL Rainhill | Single storey side extension. | Approved |
| P/2026/0395/HHPA Haydock | Prior approval for a single storey rear extension projecting 3.9m from the rear, | Approved |
| P/2026/0356/HHFP Eccleston | Single storey side extension and a single storey side infill extension. | Approved |
| P/2026/0255/FUL Town Centre | Five storey extension on the east elevation to form a new east facing entrance, | Approved |
| P/2026/0357/S73 Sutton North West | Removal of Condition 28 (acoustic fence) on approval P/2023/0557/FUL in line wit | Approved |
| P/2026/0360/FUL Rainhill | External glazed screens and composite wall cladding, and decking on terrace with | 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 St Helens's 283 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare St Helens's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
More council comparisons coming soon.
Dig deeper into St Helens'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 St Helens. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 283 real decisions from St Helens 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 St Helens'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 283 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in St Helens is –. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 283 planning decisions from St Helens council. – were approved and – were refused. These figures cover every decision on record for the council, July 2010 to September 2026.
The average approval rate in St Helens is –, 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 St Helens? 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.