West Lancashire Council approves 94.5% of planning applications, based on 6,826 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.3%. West Lancashire sits 6.2 percentage points above the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 1,148 decided applications, West Lancashire Council approved 93.6% of planning applications in 2025. Across 6,826 decisions analysed since January 2020, the overall approval rate in West Lancashire is 94.5%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.3%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of West Lancashire 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 West Lancashire.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | 3,411 | 1 | 3,412 | 100.0% |
| Trees | 1,150 | 33 | 1,183 | 97.2% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 661 | 160 | 821 | 80.5% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 540 | 26 | 566 | 95.4% |
| Other | 287 | 52 | 339 | 84.7% |
| Prior Approval | 163 | 78 | 241 | 67.6% |
| Listed Building | 124 | 0 | 124 | 100.0% |
| Advertisement | 76 | 0 | 76 | 100.0% |
| Change of Use | 38 | 26 | 64 | 59.4% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rural North East | 482 | 27 | 509 | 94.7% |
| Burscough Bridge & Rufford | 399 | 31 | 430 | 92.8% |
| Rural West | 338 | 32 | 370 | 91.4% |
| Aughton & Holborn | 347 | 9 | 356 | 97.5% |
| Up Holland | 329 | 17 | 346 | 95.1% |
| Aughton And Downholland | 325 | 11 | 336 | 96.7% |
| Rural South | 292 | 28 | 320 | 91.2% |
| Parbold | 259 | 8 | 267 | 97.0% |
| Tarleton Village | 233 | 16 | 249 | 93.6% |
| Ormskirk East | 222 | 19 | 241 | 92.1% |
| Wrightington | 229 | 9 | 238 | 96.2% |
| Scarisbrick | 208 | 13 | 221 | 94.1% |
| Tarleton | 202 | 11 | 213 | 94.8% |
| Derby | 192 | 5 | 197 | 97.5% |
| Aughton Park | 176 | 10 | 186 | 94.6% |
| Burscough West | 165 | 16 | 181 | 91.2% |
| Ormskirk West | 155 | 12 | 167 | 92.8% |
| Newburgh | 151 | 7 | 158 | 95.6% |
| Scott | 151 | 5 | 156 | 96.8% |
| Knowsley | 153 | 3 | 156 | 98.1% |
| North Meols & Hesketh Bank | 137 | 15 | 152 | 90.1% |
| Bickerstaffe | 132 | 14 | 146 | 90.4% |
| Rufford | 138 | 4 | 142 | 97.2% |
| Hesketh-with-Becconsall | 125 | 11 | 136 | 91.9% |
| Halsall | 120 | 8 | 128 | 93.8% |
Showing top 25 of 37 wards by volume. Your free property report includes the full ward breakdown.
See full ward breakdown →How West Lancashire’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, down 3.5pp since 2021.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2026/0399/FUL Up Holland | Erection of single-storey rear and side extension, and demolition of existing ga | Approved |
| 2026/0374/LDP Rural North East | Lawful Development Certificate (Proposed) -outbuilding to the rear of the existi | Approved |
| 2026/0353/FUL Ormskirk West | Single storey front, side and rear extension with new roof over existing rear ex | Approved |
| 2026/0331/FUL Tarleton Village | Erection of single-storey extension to rear of dwellinghouse. | Approved |
| 2026/0308/FUL Rural West | Demolish extensions to rear including detached garage. Form two storey rear and | Approved |
| 2026/0241/FUL Tarleton Village | Proposed Lounge, Bedroom & Utility Extension - Proposed New Windows and Doors - | Approved |
| 2026/0189/FUL Aughton & Holborn | Alterations to the existing site entrance, boundary wall and hedge to Long Lane, | Approved |
| 2026/0121/FUL Tarleton Village | Proposed single storey front and two storey side extension with front and rear d | Approved |
| 2025/0872/FUL North Meols & Hesketh Bank | Proposed single story rear extension and alterations to conservatory building to | Approved |
| 2024/0934/FUL Rural North East | Proposed conversion of an existing brick built barn and stable building to form | 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 West Lancashire's 6,826 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare West Lancashire's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
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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:
Yes. PlanningLens offers a free planning permission check for West Lancashire. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 6,826 real decisions from West Lancashire 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 West Lancashire'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 6,826 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in West Lancashire is 94.5%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.3%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 6,826 planning decisions from West Lancashire council. 6,450 were approved and 376 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in West Lancashire is 94.5%, 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 West Lancashire? 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.