Stoke-on-Trent planning approval rate
Stoke-on-Trent council approved 81.6% of planning applications and refused 18.4%, based on 1,761 decisions analysed. Ranked 22nd out of 300 councils for strictness.
Last updated: August 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to August 2026
81.6%
overall approval rate
1,761
Decisions analysed
1,437
Approved
324
Refused
35
Wards covered
Planning in Stoke-on-Trent? Check your postcode to see approval rates specific to your ward and street.
Approval rate by application type
Different application types have different approval rates in Stoke-on-Trent. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.
81.6%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Stoke-on-Trent, mined from 1,761 proposal descriptions.
87.8%
87.6%
84.4%
77.8%
78.9%
77.0%
76.4%
92.5%
86.5%
65.0%
71.4%
52.4%
77.8%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Stoke-on-Trent. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
Etruria & Hanley
88.5%
Hanley Park, Joiner's Square & Shelton
80.0%
Hanford, Newstead & Trentham
84.1%
Baddeley, Milton and Norton
84.5%
Moorcroft & Sneyd Green
89.4%
Hartshill Park & Stoke
71.3%
Longton and Meir Hay South
83.8%
Burslem
77.8%
Basford & Hartshill
75.0%
Penkhull & Springfields
94.6%
Tunstall
72.7%
Fenton West & Mount Pleasant
81.5%
Meir Hay North, Parkhall & Weston Coyney
88.5%
Birches Head & Northwood
72.3%
Meir South
84.8%
Lightwood North & Normacot
65.1%
Trent Vale & Oak Hill
73.7%
Hollybush
73.5%
Goldenhill & Sandyford
78.8%
Bentilee, Ubberley and Townsend
87.9%
Wards in Stoke-on-Trent
Etruria & Hanley
88.5% approval · 157 decisions
Hanley Park, Joiner's Square & Shelton
80.0% approval · 140 decisions
Hanford, Newstead & Trentham
84.1% approval · 132 decisions
Baddeley, Milton and Norton
84.5% approval · 103 decisions
Moorcroft & Sneyd Green
89.4% approval · 94 decisions
Hartshill Park & Stoke
71.3% approval · 87 decisions
Longton and Meir Hay South
83.8% approval · 68 decisions
Burslem
77.8% approval · 63 decisions
Basford & Hartshill
75.0% approval · 56 decisions
Penkhull & Springfields
94.6% approval · 56 decisions
Tunstall
72.7% approval · 55 decisions
Fenton West & Mount Pleasant
81.5% approval · 54 decisions
Meir Hay North, Parkhall & Weston Coyney
88.5% approval · 52 decisions
Birches Head & Northwood
72.3% approval · 47 decisions
Meir South
84.8% approval · 46 decisions
Lightwood North & Normacot
65.1% approval · 43 decisions
Trent Vale & Oak Hill
73.7% approval · 38 decisions
Hollybush
73.5% approval · 34 decisions
Goldenhill & Sandyford
78.8% approval · 33 decisions
Bentilee, Ubberley and Townsend
87.9% approval · 33 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in Stoke-on-Trent, showing how the council decides real applications.
Proposed single storey rear extension. · Little Chell & Stanfield · 2026-08-10
Two-storey side and rear extension including demolition of existing garage and s · Hanford, Newstead & Trentham · 2026-08-10
Single storey side extension · Moorcroft & Sneyd Green · 2026-08-10
Showing 3 recent comparable decisions. See more in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In Stoke-on-Trent, 1 in 5 applications are refused. 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 Stoke-on-Trent
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for Stoke-on-Trent →
✓ Common refusal reasons in Stoke-on-Trent
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free. Based on 1,761 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in Stoke-on-Trent
What is the planning approval rate in Stoke-on-Trent?
Based on 1,761 planning decisions analysed since 2020, Stoke-on-Trent approved 81.6% of applications and refused 18.4%. The council is ranked 22nd out of 300 UK councils for approval rate.
How many planning applications are refused in Stoke-on-Trent?
Stoke-on-Trent refuses 18.4% of planning applications, roughly 1 in 5. That is higher than the UK average of 11.4%. Out of 1,761 decided applications since 2020, 324 were refused. PlanningLens lets you check any postcode to see which applications were refused near a specific property.
Which areas of Stoke-on-Trent have the highest planning approval rates?
The highest approval rates in Stoke-on-Trent are in Penkhull & Springfields (94.6%), Moorcroft & Sneyd Green (89.4%), and Etruria & Hanley (88.5%). Approval rates vary significantly by ward, see the full ward breakdown above.
What types of planning application are most common in Stoke-on-Trent?
The most common planning application types in Stoke-on-Trent are: Other (1,761 decisions, 81.6% approved).
How long does a planning application take in Stoke-on-Trent?
Most planning applications in Stoke-on-Trent are decided within 8 weeks for householder applications and 13 weeks for major developments, the statutory targets set by central government. With 1,761 decisions analysed since 2020, Stoke-on-Trent processes approximately 294 planning applications per year.
How do I check planning applications in Stoke-on-Trent?
You can search planning applications in Stoke-on-Trent directly on the council's official planning portal. PlanningLens also lets you check any postcode against 1,761 historical decisions in Stoke-on-Trent to see what's been approved and refused near a specific property.
How is PlanningLens approval rate data for Stoke-on-Trent calculated?
PlanningLens scrapes Stoke-on-Trent's 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.