Stafford Council approves 83.2% of planning applications, based on 2,971 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.5%. Stafford sits 5.3 percentage points below the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 764 decided applications, Stafford Council approved 85.5% of planning applications in 2025. Across 2,971 decisions analysed since January 2020, the overall approval rate in Stafford is 83.2%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.5%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Stafford council planning portal records · Updated June 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 | 1,443 | 286 | 1,729 | 83.5% |
| Trees | 363 | 39 | 402 | 90.3% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 206 | 59 | 265 | 77.7% |
| Other | 147 | 40 | 187 | 78.6% |
| Prior Approval | 96 | 40 | 136 | 70.6% |
| Listed Building | 118 | 9 | 127 | 92.9% |
| Advertisement | 61 | 17 | 78 | 78.2% |
| Change of Use | 39 | 8 | 47 | 83.0% |
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 | 280 | 60 | 340 | 82.4% |
| Milwich | 272 | 46 | 318 | 85.5% |
| Swynnerton And Oulton | 233 | 43 | 276 | 84.4% |
| Seighford And Church Eaton | 207 | 44 | 251 | 82.5% |
| Gnosall And Woodseaves | 158 | 39 | 197 | 80.2% |
| Haywood And Hixon | 143 | 35 | 178 | 80.3% |
| Forebridge | 144 | 33 | 177 | 81.4% |
| St Michaels And Stonefield | 147 | 25 | 172 | 85.5% |
| Fulford | 100 | 25 | 125 | 80.0% |
| Milford | 92 | 12 | 104 | 88.5% |
| Weeping Cross And Wildwood | 82 | 16 | 98 | 83.7% |
| Baswich | 68 | 14 | 82 | 82.9% |
| Manor | 61 | 16 | 77 | 79.2% |
| Rowley | 66 | 11 | 77 | 85.7% |
| Walton | 62 | 12 | 74 | 83.8% |
| Barlaston | 63 | 11 | 74 | 85.1% |
| Holmcroft | 54 | 8 | 62 | 87.1% |
| Coton | 54 | 7 | 61 | 88.5% |
| Littleworth | 46 | 13 | 59 | 78.0% |
| Common | 45 | 13 | 58 | 77.6% |
| Highfield And Western Downs | 35 | 7 | 42 | 83.3% |
| Penkside | 28 | 3 | 31 | 90.3% |
| Doxey And Castletown | 18 | 2 | 20 | 90.0% |
How Stafford’s planning approval rate has changed year by year — down 2.1pp since 2023.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 26/42244/NHPD Coton | Erection of a single-storey rear extension extending 4.5 metres beyond the rear | Approved |
| 26/41917/HOU Eccleshall | Extension to front of property. Alterations to existing conservatory including r | Approved |
| 25/41589/FUL Eccleshall | Erection of a dwelling and detached garage | Approved |
| 25/41557/FUL St Michaels And Stonefield | Extension of the existing MUGA to enlarge the playing area, including resurfacin | Approved |
| 26/42073/TWT Highfield And Western Downs | TPO 1 1949: Oak - 1. Prune back overhang of canopy over the boundary of 58 , to | Approved |
| 26/41980/PIP Eccleshall | Permission in Principle - Proposed residential development for up to three dwell | Refused |
| 26/41891/HOU Swynnerton And Oulton | Single storey side extension | Approved |
| 26/41664/HOU Swynnerton And Oulton | Single storey rear extension, flat roof canopy to the front entrance, external a | Approved |
| 25/41295/FUL Coton | Proposed erection of 3.1m and 5.2m high fencing within courtyard garden. | Approved |
| 26/42164/LDCPP Littleworth | Lawful Development Certificate - Proposed creation of additional living space | 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 2,971 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 2,971 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 2,971 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Stafford is 83.2%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.5%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 2,971 planning decisions from Stafford council. 2,473 were approved and 498 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in Stafford is 83.2%, 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.