West Lancashire Council approves 95.1% of planning applications, based on 3,928 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 87.9%. West Lancashire sits 7.2 percentage points above the national average.
Enter your postcode for a personalised approval likelihood score — based on your ward and application type.
Not all applications are treated equally. Extension types, listed building consent, and change of use applications each have very different success rates in West Lancashire.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | 2,021 | 0 | 2,021 | 100.0% |
| Trees | 671 | 15 | 686 | 97.8% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 373 | 85 | 458 | 81.4% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 284 | 14 | 298 | 95.3% |
| Other | 158 | 32 | 190 | 83.2% |
| Prior Approval | 87 | 39 | 126 | 69.0% |
| Listed Building | 72 | 0 | 72 | 100.0% |
| Advertisement | 41 | 0 | 41 | 100.0% |
| Change of Use | 28 | 8 | 36 | 77.8% |
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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aughton And Downholland | 322 | 10 | 332 | 97.0% |
| Parbold | 255 | 8 | 263 | 97.0% |
| Wrightington | 228 | 9 | 237 | 96.2% |
| Scarisbrick | 203 | 13 | 216 | 94.0% |
| Tarleton | 200 | 11 | 211 | 94.8% |
| Derby | 191 | 5 | 196 | 97.4% |
| Aughton Park | 173 | 10 | 183 | 94.5% |
| Burscough West | 162 | 15 | 177 | 91.5% |
| Scott | 150 | 5 | 155 | 96.8% |
| Newburgh | 148 | 7 | 155 | 95.5% |
| Knowsley | 151 | 3 | 154 | 98.1% |
| Rufford | 137 | 4 | 141 | 97.2% |
| Bickerstaffe | 126 | 14 | 140 | 90.0% |
| Hesketh-with-Becconsall | 124 | 11 | 135 | 91.9% |
| Halsall | 119 | 8 | 127 | 93.7% |
| Up Holland | 119 | 5 | 124 | 96.0% |
| Rural North East Ward | 82 | 10 | 92 | 89.1% |
| Burscough East | 83 | 3 | 86 | 96.5% |
| North Meols | 77 | 7 | 84 | 91.7% |
| Ashurst | 72 | 3 | 75 | 96.0% |
| Skelmersdale South | 69 | 1 | 70 | 98.6% |
| Aughton & Holborn Ward | 61 | 1 | 62 | 98.4% |
| Burscough Bridge & Rufford Ward | 56 | 3 | 59 | 94.9% |
| Rural West Ward | 52 | 4 | 56 | 92.9% |
| Rural South Ward | 43 | 4 | 47 | 91.5% |
Showing top 25 of 40 wards by volume. Your Pro Report includes the full ward breakdown.
See full ward breakdown →Real residential planning decisions from West Lancashire council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| 2023/0988/FUL Ormskirk West Ward | Double storey rear extension and front porch. | Approved |
| 2023/0941/FUL Aughton & Holborn Ward | Demolition of existing precast reinforced concrete dwelling and erection of repl | Approved |
| 2023/0909/FUL Tarleton Village Ward | Proposed erection of dormer bungalow with associated parking and garden with new | Approved |
| 2023/1087/LDP Rural West Ward | Proposed bedroom extension, kitchen extension and detached outbuilding with offi | Approved |
| 2023/0949/FUL Aughton & Holborn Ward | Proposed replacement of existing UPVC pitched roof glazed conservatory to rear g | Approved |
| 2023/0950/FUL Up Holland Ward | First floor extension to the side including a Juliette balcony to the rear, and | Approved |
| 2023/0948/FUL Rural South Ward | Single Storey Side Extension to Existing Outrigger | Approved |
| 2023/0936/FUL Skelmersdale North Ward | Installation of fence and gates around playing field and vehicle access. | Approved |
| 2023/0886/FUL Rural South Ward | Bay window with no alteration to existing brickworks - a new three piece UPVC fo | Approved |
| 2023/0862/FUL Old Skelmersdale Ward | Demolition of existing kitchen and coal shed. Erection of double and single stor | Approved |
Find out what actually gets approved near your address first. Your Pro Report analyses the 20 nearest decisions to your property, ward-specific refusal patterns, and extension-by-extension approval patterns. Based on West Lancashire's 3,928 real decisions. Delivered by email in minutes.
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Dig deeper into West Lancashire's planning statistics — by ward, extension type, or project category:
Data-driven guides to help you understand planning approval patterns:
Based on 3,928 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in West Lancashire is 95.1%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 87.9%. However, rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 3,928 planning decisions from West Lancashire council. 3,735 were approved and 193 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in West Lancashire is 95.1%, but outcomes depend heavily on your specific ward, the type of extension or development you are proposing, and local planning policy. Use the PlanningLens free postcode check to get a personalised score.