West Lancashire Council approves – of planning applications, based on 3,976 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. West Lancashire is closely in line with the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 3,976 decided applications on record (March 2021 to September 2026), West Lancashire Council approved – of planning applications. The national average approval rate across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of West Lancashire council planning portal records · Data to 25 September 2026 · Quote freely with attribution
Enter your postcode for a free, personalised approval pattern report, 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 | – | – | 3,538 | – |
| Trees | – | – | 1,229 | – |
| Discharge of Conditions | – | – | 850 | – |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | – | – | 607 | – |
| Other | – | – | 355 | – |
| Prior Approval | – | – | 256 | – |
| Listed Building | – | – | 129 | – |
| Advertisement | – | – | 79 | – |
| Change of Use | – | – | 65 | – |
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 | – | – | 544 | – |
| Burscough Bridge & Rufford | – | – | 459 | – |
| Rural West | – | – | 403 | – |
| Aughton & Holborn | – | – | 391 | – |
| Up Holland | – | – | 361 | – |
| Rural South | – | – | 346 | – |
| Aughton And Downholland | – | – | 336 | – |
| Tarleton Village | – | – | 278 | – |
| Ormskirk East | – | – | 268 | – |
| Parbold | – | – | 267 | – |
| Wrightington | – | – | 238 | – |
| Scarisbrick | – | – | 221 | – |
| Tarleton | – | – | 213 | – |
| Derby | – | – | 197 | – |
| Aughton Park | – | – | 186 | – |
| Burscough West | – | – | 181 | – |
| Ormskirk West | – | – | 180 | – |
| North Meols & Hesketh Bank | – | – | 165 | – |
| Newburgh | – | – | 158 | – |
| Scott | – | – | 156 | – |
| Knowsley | – | – | 156 | – |
| Bickerstaffe | – | – | 146 | – |
| Rufford | – | – | 142 | – |
| Hesketh-with-Becconsall | – | – | 136 | – |
| Skelmersdale South | – | – | 132 | – |
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, unchanged 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2026/0679/FUL Aughton & Holborn | Single storey side extension. | Approved |
| 2026/0665/FUL Rural West | Proposed side extension to dwelling | Approved |
| 2026/0649/FUL Aughton & Holborn | Demolition of existing dwelling and erection of replacement dwelling. | Approved |
| T/2026/0072/TPO Ormskirk East | Crown raise beech Tree (fagus sylavtica) to 6m on garden side 138 Redgate. Remov | Approved |
| 2026/0635/FUL Rural West | Change of use of adjoining land to residential garden ancillary to 8 Tanpit Fold | Approved |
| 2026/0634/FUL Ormskirk East | Proposed new dormer extensions to the front and rear elevations to create new fi | Approved |
| 2026/0577/FUL Rural West | Proposed replacement of flat roof with duo pitched roof to existing rear extensi | Approved |
| 2026/0492/LBC Ormskirk West | Listed Building Consent - Proposed single-storey rear extension and internal alt | Approved |
| 2026/0486/FUL Ormskirk West | Proposed single-storey rear extension and internal alterations. Conversion of at | Approved |
| 2026/0640/FUL Aughton & Holborn | Demolition of existing integral side garage, erection of two storey gable side e | 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 3,976 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare West Lancashire's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
More council comparisons coming soon.
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 3,976 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 3,976 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in West Lancashire is –. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 3,976 planning decisions from West Lancashire council. – were approved and – were refused. These figures cover every decision on record for the council, March 2021 to September 2026.
The average approval rate in West Lancashire is –, 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.