Stafford Council approves 84.5% of planning applications, based on 4,619 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. Stafford sits 4.1 percentage points below the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 763 decided applications, Stafford Council approved 85.5% of planning applications in 2025. Across 4,619 decisions analysed since January 2020, the overall approval rate in Stafford is 84.5%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Stafford council planning portal records · Updated August 2026 · Quote freely with attribution
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Not all applications are treated equally. Extension types, listed building consent, and change of use applications each have very different success rates in Stafford.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | 2,272 | 386 | 2,658 | 85.5% |
| Trees | 619 | 60 | 679 | 91.2% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 328 | 98 | 426 | 77.0% |
| Other | 194 | 55 | 249 | 77.9% |
| Prior Approval | 145 | 63 | 208 | 69.7% |
| Listed Building | 182 | 20 | 202 | 90.1% |
| Advertisement | 103 | 21 | 124 | 83.1% |
| Change of Use | 61 | 12 | 73 | 83.6% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eccleshall | 415 | 79 | 494 | 84.0% |
| Milwich | 402 | 73 | 475 | 84.6% |
| Swynnerton And Oulton | 361 | 63 | 424 | 85.1% |
| Seighford And Church Eaton | 308 | 63 | 371 | 83.0% |
| Gnosall And Woodseaves | 255 | 54 | 309 | 82.5% |
| St Michaels And Stonefield | 251 | 36 | 287 | 87.5% |
| Haywood And Hixon | 230 | 48 | 278 | 82.7% |
| Forebridge | 204 | 41 | 245 | 83.3% |
| Fulford | 183 | 38 | 221 | 82.8% |
| Milford | 156 | 20 | 176 | 88.6% |
| Weeping Cross And Wildwood | 132 | 22 | 154 | 85.7% |
| Baswich | 120 | 21 | 141 | 85.1% |
| Barlaston | 111 | 20 | 131 | 84.7% |
| Walton | 114 | 14 | 128 | 89.1% |
| Rowley | 105 | 18 | 123 | 85.4% |
| Manor | 97 | 22 | 119 | 81.5% |
| Holmcroft | 97 | 14 | 111 | 87.4% |
| Littleworth | 72 | 15 | 87 | 82.8% |
| Common | 69 | 17 | 86 | 80.2% |
| Coton | 72 | 10 | 82 | 87.8% |
| Highfield And Western Downs | 53 | 14 | 67 | 79.1% |
| Penkside | 45 | 3 | 48 | 93.8% |
| Doxey And Castletown | 33 | 7 | 40 | 82.5% |
How Stafford’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, down 6.6pp since 2021.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from Stafford council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| 26/42088/HOU Gnosall And Woodseaves | Two storey side extension | Approved |
| 26/42080/HOU Gnosall And Woodseaves | Two storey side extension and rebuilding of rear extension with pitched roof | Approved |
| 26/41748/FUL Gnosall And Woodseaves | Erection of agricultural storage building with concrete apron | Approved |
| 26/42424/NHPD Haywood And Hixon | Rear extension, 6.6m from rear, 3m max height, 2.3m height of eaves. | Refused |
| 26/42083/LBC Milford | Underfloor Heating and Replacement Floor | Refused |
| 25/41524/FUL Forebridge | Replacement of ground floor door with window | Approved |
| 26/42281/LDCPP Highfield And Western Downs | Lawful Development Certificate - Proposed replacement windows whilst adding new | Refused |
| 26/42086/HOU Walton | Proposed single storey rear extension and two storey side extension | Approved |
| 26/42300/HOU Seighford And Church Eaton | Single storey rear extension | Approved |
| 26/42012/HOU St Michaels And Stonefield | Demolish existing conservatory. Conversion of existing garage to form utility , | 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 Stafford's 4,619 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare Stafford's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
More council comparisons coming soon.
Dig deeper into Stafford'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 Stafford. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 4,619 real decisions from Stafford 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 Stafford'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 4,619 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Stafford is 84.5%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 4,619 planning decisions from Stafford council. 3,904 were approved and 715 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in Stafford is 84.5%, 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 Stafford? 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.