St Helens planning approval rate
Approval rate withheld for St Helens. PlanningLens is temporarily withholding the headline approval rate for this council. Refusals appear materially undercaptured in the published record, so an approval rate computed from it would overstate approval. This does not mean the previously shown percentage has been proved wrong. No official statistic is substituted in its place. Approval, refusal and rate figures are shown as – throughout this page. Decision volumes are unaffected and are still published. Why we withhold a rate
Last updated: September 2026 · Based on every decision on record, July 2010 to September 2026
–%
overall approval rate
283
Decisions analysed
–
Approved
–
Refused
18
Wards covered
Planning in St Helens? Check your postcode to see approval rates specific to your ward and street.
Planning professional? PlanningLens runs refusal alerts and evidence packs for St Helens and any other published UK council — see the data services →
Approval rate by application type
Different application types have different approval rates in St Helens. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.
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–
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in St Helens, mined from 283 proposal descriptions.
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Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within St Helens. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
Town Centre Ward
–
Newton East Ward
–
Rainhill Ward
–
Bold And Lea Green Ward
–
Eccleston Ward
–
Rainford Ward
–
Windle Ward
–
Haydock Ward
–
Billinge And Seneley Green Ward
–
Newton West Ward
–
Peasley Cross & Fingerpost Ward
–
Moss Bank Ward
–
Wards in St Helens
Town Centre Ward
– approval · 63 decisions
Newton East Ward
– approval · 52 decisions
Rainhill Ward
– approval · 49 decisions
Bold And Lea Green Ward
– approval · 45 decisions
Eccleston Ward
– approval · 43 decisions
Rainford Ward
– approval · 42 decisions
Windle Ward
– approval · 35 decisions
Haydock Ward
– approval · 31 decisions
Billinge And Seneley Green Ward
– approval · 25 decisions
Newton West Ward
– approval · 21 decisions
Peasley Cross & Fingerpost Ward
– approval · 21 decisions
Moss Bank Ward
– approval · 20 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in St Helens, showing how the council decides real applications.
Two storey side extension. · Billinge And Seneley Green Ward · Tue 08 Sep 2026
Erection of garden annexe, covered outdoor kitchen, raised patio & canopy to the · Moss Bank Ward · Tue 08 Sep 2026
Demolition of existing conservatory and erection of a new single storey side ext · Sutton South East Ward · Tue 08 Sep 2026
Showing 3 recent comparable decisions. See more in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
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 St Helens
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for St Helens →
✓ Common refusal reasons in St Helens
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free. Based on 283 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in St Helens
What is the planning approval rate in St Helens?
PlanningLens is currently withholding the approval rate for St Helens on data-quality grounds. PlanningLens is temporarily withholding the headline approval rate for this council. Refusals appear materially undercaptured in the published record, so an approval rate computed from it would overstate approval. This does not mean the previously shown percentage has been proved wrong. No official statistic is substituted in its place.
How many planning applications are refused in St Helens?
St Helens refuses – of planning applications. That is close to the UK average of 12.57%. Out of 283 decided applications since 2020, – were refused. PlanningLens lets you check any postcode to see which applications were refused near a specific property.
Which areas of St Helens have the highest planning approval rates?
The highest approval rates in St Helens are in Newton East Ward (–), Town Centre Ward (–). Approval rates vary significantly by ward, see the full ward breakdown above.
What types of planning application are most common in St Helens?
The most common planning application types in St Helens are: Full (253 decisions, –% approved), Discharge of Conditions (117, –%), and Other (73, –%).
How long does a planning application take in St Helens?
Planning applications in St Helens typically take 7.9 weeks from validation to decision: the median across 518 applications decided since January 2020 with both dates on record. That is inside 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. St Helens decides approximately 47 planning applications per year.
How do I check planning applications in St Helens?
You can search planning applications in St Helens directly on the council's official planning portal. PlanningLens also lets you check any postcode against 283 historical decisions in St Helens to see what's been approved and refused near a specific property.
How is PlanningLens approval rate data for St Helens calculated?
PlanningLens scrapes St Helens' 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.