Which ward in Stoke-on-Trent has the highest planning approval rate?

Meir Park at 96.2% based on 26 decisions.

Which ward in Stoke-on-Trent has the lowest planning approval rate?

Lightwood North & Normacot at 67.4% based on 46 decisions.

How much do planning approval rates vary across Stoke-on-Trent?

There is a 28.8% gap between Meir Park and Lightwood North & Normacot. Your postcode significantly affects outcomes.

Planning Approval Rates by Ward in Stoke-on-Trent

Planning outcomes in Stoke-on-Trent are highly localised. The gap between the most and least permissive wards is 28.8% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

1,697 real decisions·34 wards·Updated June 2026

All 34 wards ranked

#	Ward	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	Meir Park	26	25	1	96.2%
2	Penkhull & Springfields	56	53	3	94.6%
3	Bradeley & Chell Heath	14	13	1	92.9%
4	Fenton East	26	24	2	92.3%
5	Burslem Park	26	24	2	92.3%
6	Little Chell & Stanfield	28	25	3	89.3%
7	Moorcroft & Sneyd Green	93	83	10	89.2%
8	Etruria & Hanley	146	130	16	89.0%
9	Meir Hay North, Parkhall & Weston Coyney	52	46	6	88.5%
10	Meir South	49	43	6	87.8%
11	Bentilee, Ubberley and Townsend	32	28	4	87.5%
12	Baddeley, Milton and Norton	104	89	15	85.6%
13	Abbey Hulton	19	16	3	84.2%
14	Goldenhill & Sandyford	31	26	5	83.9%
15	Longton and Meir Hay South	68	57	11	83.8%
16	Hanford, Newstead & Trentham	128	107	21	83.6%
17	Dresden & Florence	18	15	3	83.3%
18	Hanley Park, Joiner's Square & Shelton	132	108	24	81.8%
19	Fenton West & Mount Pleasant	54	44	10	81.5%
20	Meir North	16	13	3	81.2%
21	Hollybush	31	24	7	77.4%
22	Burslem	61	47	14	77.0%
23	Blurton	21	16	5	76.2%
24	Basford & Hartshill	53	40	13	75.5%
25	Boothen	20	15	5	75.0%
26	Birches Head & Northwood	44	33	11	75.0%
27	Trent Vale & Oak Hill	38	28	10	73.7%
28	Sandford Hill	15	11	4	73.3%
29	Tunstall	48	35	13	72.9%
30	Hartshill Park & Stoke	82	58	24	70.7%
31	Great Chell & Packmoor	33	23	10	69.7%
32	Bucknall & Eaton Park	22	15	7	68.2%
33	Ford Green & Smallthorne	28	19	9	67.9%
34	Lightwood North & Normacot	46	31	15	67.4%

See how this applies to your postcode →

These are council averages. Your property is specific.

An extension might sail through in Meir Park but face serious resistance in Lightwood North & Normacot.
Check your postcode to see what actually happens near your address.

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What the data tells us

A 28.8% gap separates the best and worst wards. Meir Park approves 96.2% of applications while Lightwood North & Normacot approves just 67.4%. 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

302 planning applications in Stoke-on-Trent 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 Stoke-on-Trent planning data

Methodology: Covers 1,697 planning decisions in Stoke-on-Trent, January 2020 to present. Approval rate = approved / (approved + refused). Pending, withdrawn and invalid excluded. Ward boundaries reflect current electoral divisions. Data from Stoke-on-Trent Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →