Which ward in West Lancashire has the highest planning approval rate?

Skelmersdale North at 100.0% based on 33 decisions.

Which ward in West Lancashire has the lowest planning approval rate?

North Meols & Hesketh Bank Ward at 90.1% based on 152 decisions.

How much do planning approval rates vary across West Lancashire?

There is a 9.9% gap between Skelmersdale North and North Meols & Hesketh Bank Ward. Your postcode significantly affects outcomes.

Planning Approval Rates by Ward in West Lancashire

Planning outcomes in West Lancashire are highly localised. The gap between the most and least permissive wards is 9.9% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

6,826 real decisions·40 wards·Updated June 2026

All 40 wards ranked

#	Ward	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	Skelmersdale North	33	33	0	100.0%
2	Tanhouse & Skelmersdale Town Centre Ward	45	45	0	100.0%
3	Skelmersdale South	70	69	1	98.6%
4	Knowsley	156	153	3	98.1%
5	Derby	197	192	5	97.5%
6	Aughton & Holborn Ward	356	347	9	97.5%
7	Birch Green	37	36	1	97.3%
8	Skelmersdale North Ward	74	72	2	97.3%
9	Rufford	142	138	4	97.2%
10	Parbold	267	259	8	97.0%
11	Scott	156	151	5	96.8%
12	Burscough Town Ward	124	120	4	96.8%
13	Aughton And Downholland	336	325	11	96.7%
14	Burscough East	88	85	3	96.6%
15	Wrightington	238	229	9	96.2%
16	Up Holland	128	123	5	96.1%
17	Ashurst	75	72	3	96.0%
18	Newburgh	158	151	7	95.6%
19	Tarleton	213	202	11	94.8%
20	Rural North East Ward	509	482	27	94.7%
21	Aughton Park	186	176	10	94.6%
22	Up Holland Ward	218	206	12	94.5%
23	Moorside	18	17	1	94.4%
24	Scarisbrick	221	208	13	94.1%
25	Halsall	128	120	8	93.8%
26	Tarleton Village Ward	249	233	16	93.6%
27	Old Skelmersdale Ward	56	52	4	92.9%
28	Burscough Bridge & Rufford Ward	430	399	31	92.8%
29	Ormskirk West Ward	167	155	12	92.8%
30	Ormskirk East Ward	241	222	19	92.1%
31	North Meols	86	79	7	91.9%
32	Hesketh-with-Becconsall	136	125	11	91.9%
33	Rural West Ward	370	338	32	91.4%
34	Tanhouse	23	21	2	91.3%
35	Burscough West	181	165	16	91.2%
36	Rural South Ward	320	292	28	91.2%
37	Skelmersdale South Ward	57	52	5	91.2%
38	Digmoor	22	20	2	90.9%
39	Bickerstaffe	146	132	14	90.4%
40	North Meols & Hesketh Bank Ward	152	137	15	90.1%

See how this applies to your postcode →

These are council averages. Your property is specific.

An extension might sail through in Skelmersdale North but face serious resistance in North Meols & Hesketh Bank Ward.
Check your postcode to see what actually happens near your address.

Check My Postcode

What the data tells us

A 9.9% gap separates the best and worst wards. Skelmersdale North approves 100.0% of applications while North Meols & Hesketh Bank Ward approves just 90.1%. 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

376 planning applications in West Lancashire 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 3,290,000+ real decisions

More West Lancashire planning data

Methodology: Covers 6,826 planning decisions in West Lancashire, January 2020 to present. Approval rate = approved / (approved + refused). Pending, withdrawn and invalid excluded. Ward boundaries reflect current electoral divisions. Data from West Lancashire Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →