Which ward in Stafford has the highest planning approval rate?

Penkside at 91.8% based on 49 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 12.7% 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 12.7% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

3,175 real decisions·23 wards·Updated September 2026

83.5% approved overall. But 523 applications refused since 2020. Where you live in Stafford shifts your odds by up to 12.7%. 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	49	45	4	91.8%
2	Coton	85	75	10	88.2%
3	Walton	131	115	16	87.8%
4	Milford	179	157	22	87.7%
5	Holmcroft	113	99	14	87.6%
6	St Michaels And Stonefield	290	252	38	86.9%
7	Weeping Cross And Wildwood	156	134	22	85.9%
8	Baswich	144	123	21	85.4%
9	Rowley	123	105	18	85.4%
10	Swynnerton And Oulton	429	365	64	85.1%
11	Barlaston	133	113	20	85.0%
12	Milwich	487	411	76	84.4%
13	Eccleshall	505	425	80	84.2%
14	Littleworth	89	74	15	83.1%
15	Seighford And Church Eaton	375	311	64	82.9%
16	Doxey And Castletown	41	34	7	82.9%
17	Fulford	227	188	39	82.8%
18	Forebridge	248	205	43	82.7%
19	Haywood And Hixon	278	230	48	82.7%
20	Gnosall And Woodseaves	312	257	55	82.4%
21	Manor	120	98	22	81.7%
22	Common	88	71	17	80.7%
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 12.7% gap separates the best and worst wards. Penkside approves 91.8% 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

523 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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Free · Property report emailed in minutes · Based on 3,840,000+ real decisions

More Stafford planning data

Methodology: Covers 3,175 planning decisions in Stafford, January 2020 to September 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 →