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

Meir Park at 96.4% based on 28 decisions.

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

Lightwood North & Normacot at 65.1% based on 43 decisions.

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

There is a 31.3% 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 31.3% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

1,743 real decisions·34 wards·Updated August 2026

All 34 wards ranked

#	Ward	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	Meir Park	28	27	1	96.4%
2	Penkhull & Springfields	56	53	3	94.6%
3	Bradeley & Chell Heath	15	14	1	93.3%
4	Burslem Park	25	23	2	92.0%
5	Moorcroft & Sneyd Green	93	83	10	89.2%
6	Little Chell & Stanfield	27	24	3	88.9%
7	Etruria & Hanley	156	138	18	88.5%
8	Meir Hay North, Parkhall & Weston Coyney	52	46	6	88.5%
9	Bentilee, Ubberley and Townsend	32	28	4	87.5%
10	Fenton East	29	25	4	86.2%
11	Meir South	46	39	7	84.8%
12	Baddeley, Milton and Norton	103	87	16	84.5%
13	Abbey Hulton	19	16	3	84.2%
14	Hanford, Newstead & Trentham	131	110	21	84.0%
15	Longton and Meir Hay South	68	57	11	83.8%
16	Dresden & Florence	18	15	3	83.3%
17	Fenton West & Mount Pleasant	54	44	10	81.5%
18	Meir North	15	12	3	80.0%
19	Hanley Park, Joiner's Square & Shelton	137	109	28	79.6%
20	Goldenhill & Sandyford	33	26	7	78.8%
21	Burslem	63	49	14	77.8%
22	Blurton	22	17	5	77.3%
23	Basford & Hartshill	55	42	13	76.4%
24	Boothen	21	16	5	76.2%
25	Hollybush	34	25	9	73.5%
26	Sandford Hill	15	11	4	73.3%
27	Trent Vale & Oak Hill	37	27	10	73.0%
28	Birches Head & Northwood	47	34	13	72.3%
29	Tunstall	54	39	15	72.2%
30	Hartshill Park & Stoke	87	62	25	71.3%
31	Bucknall & Eaton Park	23	16	7	69.6%
32	Ford Green & Smallthorne	29	20	9	69.0%
33	Great Chell & Packmoor	32	22	10	68.8%
34	Lightwood North & Normacot	43	28	15	65.1%

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.

Check My Postcode

What the data tells us

A 31.3% gap separates the best and worst wards. Meir Park approves 96.4% of applications while Lightwood North & Normacot approves just 65.1%. 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

322 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.

Check my postcode

Free · Property report emailed in minutes · Based on 3,770,000+ real decisions

More Stoke-on-Trent planning data

Methodology: Covers 1,743 planning decisions in Stoke-on-Trent, January 2020 to August 2026. 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 →