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?

Bickerstaffe at 90.4% based on 146 decisions.

How much do planning approval rates vary across West Lancashire?

There is a 9.6% gap between Skelmersdale North and Bickerstaffe. 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 9.6% — that's not noise, it's a fundamentally different planning environment depending on where you live.

6,990 real decisions·40 wards·Updated August 2026

All 40 wards ranked

#	Ward	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	Skelmersdale North	33	33	0	100.0%
2	Skelmersdale South	70	69	1	98.6%
3	Knowsley	156	153	3	98.1%
4	Tanhouse & Skelmersdale Town Centre Ward	48	47	1	97.9%
5	Aughton & Holborn Ward	373	364	9	97.6%
6	Derby	197	192	5	97.5%
7	Skelmersdale North Ward	77	75	2	97.4%
8	Birch Green	37	36	1	97.3%
9	Rufford	142	138	4	97.2%
10	Parbold	267	259	8	97.0%
11	Burscough Town Ward	129	125	4	96.9%
12	Scott	156	151	5	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	Rural North East Ward	531	504	27	94.9%
20	Tarleton	213	202	11	94.8%
21	Up Holland Ward	230	218	12	94.8%
22	Aughton Park	186	176	10	94.6%
23	Moorside	18	17	1	94.4%
24	Scarisbrick	221	208	13	94.1%
25	Tarleton Village Ward	270	254	16	94.1%
26	Halsall	128	120	8	93.8%
27	Old Skelmersdale Ward	58	54	4	93.1%
28	Ormskirk West Ward	171	159	12	93.0%
29	Burscough Bridge & Rufford Ward	447	415	32	92.8%
30	Ormskirk East Ward	256	237	19	92.6%
31	North Meols	86	79	7	91.9%
32	Hesketh-with-Becconsall	136	125	11	91.9%
33	Rural West Ward	389	357	32	91.8%
34	Skelmersdale South Ward	58	53	5	91.4%
35	Rural South Ward	334	305	29	91.3%
36	Tanhouse	23	21	2	91.3%
37	Burscough West	181	165	16	91.2%
38	Digmoor	22	20	2	90.9%
39	North Meols & Hesketh Bank Ward	161	146	15	90.7%
40	Bickerstaffe	146	132	14	90.4%

See how this applies to your postcode →

What the data tells us

A 9.6% gap separates the best and worst wards. Skelmersdale North approves 100.0% of applications while Bickerstaffe approves just 90.4%. 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

379 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.

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More West Lancashire planning data

Methodology: Covers 6,990 planning decisions in West Lancashire, January 2020 to August 2026. 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 →

Planning Approval Rates by Ward in West Lancashire

Check Planning Approval Patterns in West Lancashire

All 40 wards ranked

These are council averages. Your property is specific.

What the data tells us

Before you spend £5,000+ on architects and drawings

More West Lancashire planning data