Which ward in Stafford has the highest planning approval rate?

Penkside at 93.8% based on 48 decisions.

Which ward in Stafford has the lowest planning approval rate?

Highfield And Western Downs at 79.1% based on 67 decisions.

How much do planning approval rates vary across Stafford?

There is a 14.7% gap between Penkside and Highfield And Western Downs. Your postcode significantly affects outcomes.

Planning Approval Rates by Ward in Stafford

Planning outcomes in Stafford are highly localised. The gap between the most and least permissive wards is 14.7% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

4,619 real decisions·23 wards·Updated August 2026

84.5% approved overall. But 715 applications refused since 2020. Where you live in Stafford shifts your odds by up to 14.7%. The council average doesn't tell you which side of that gap you're on.

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All 23 wards ranked

#	Ward	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	Penkside	48	45	3	93.8%
2	Walton	128	114	14	89.1%
3	Milford	176	156	20	88.6%
4	Coton	82	72	10	87.8%
5	St Michaels And Stonefield	287	251	36	87.5%
6	Holmcroft	111	97	14	87.4%
7	Weeping Cross And Wildwood	154	132	22	85.7%
8	Rowley	123	105	18	85.4%
9	Swynnerton And Oulton	424	361	63	85.1%
10	Baswich	141	120	21	85.1%
11	Barlaston	131	111	20	84.7%
12	Milwich	475	402	73	84.6%
13	Eccleshall	494	415	79	84.0%
14	Forebridge	245	204	41	83.3%
15	Seighford And Church Eaton	371	308	63	83.0%
16	Littleworth	87	72	15	82.8%
17	Fulford	221	183	38	82.8%
18	Haywood And Hixon	278	230	48	82.7%
19	Gnosall And Woodseaves	309	255	54	82.5%
20	Doxey And Castletown	40	33	7	82.5%
21	Manor	119	97	22	81.5%
22	Common	86	69	17	80.2%
23	Highfield And Western Downs	67	53	14	79.1%

See how this applies to your postcode →

These are council averages. Your property is specific.

An extension might sail through in Penkside but face serious resistance in Highfield And Western Downs.
Check your postcode to see what actually happens near your address.

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What the data tells us

A 14.7% gap separates the best and worst wards. Penkside approves 93.8% of applications while Highfield And Western Downs approves just 79.1%. That's a fundamentally different planning environment.

High volume doesn't mean high approval. Some of the busiest wards aren't the most permissive. The number of applications a ward processes tells you nothing about how likely yours is to succeed.

Ward averages are a starting point, not a guarantee. Your specific outcome depends on your property, your neighbours, your proposal type and the comparable decisions near your address.

Before you spend £5,000+ on architects and drawings

715 planning applications in Stafford have been refused since 2020. Many of those homeowners had already paid for drawings and application fees. A free, property-specific report shows you what gets approved — and what gets refused — near your property.

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More Stafford planning data

Methodology: Covers 4,619 planning decisions in Stafford, January 2020 to August 2026. Approval rate = approved / (approved + refused). Pending, withdrawn and invalid excluded. Ward boundaries reflect current electoral divisions. Data from Stafford Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →