Wigan planning approval rate

Wigan council approved 89.6% of planning applications and refused 10.4%, based on 4,758 decisions analysed. Ranked 92nd out of 221 councils for strictness.

Last updated: March 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to present

89.6%

overall approval rate

4,758

Decisions analysed

4,261

Approved

497

Refused

Wards covered

Planning in Wigan? Check your postcode to see approval rates specific to your ward and street.

Approval rate by application type

Different application types have different approval rates in Wigan. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.

Full (2,866 decided)

91.5%

Other (933 decided)

87.1%

Certificate of Lawfulness (366 decided)

85.2%

Change of Use (196 decided)

86.7%

Advertisement (158 decided)

82.3%

Trees (81 decided)

98.8%

Discharge of Conditions (79 decided)

82.3%

Listed Building (68 decided)

89.7%

Prior Approval (11 decided)

81.8%

Approval rate by project type

These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Wigan — mined from 4,758 proposal descriptions.

Garage / Parking (783 decided)

90.2%

Rear Extension (590 decided)

91.5%

Extension (General) (589 decided)

90.0%

Change of Use (Residential) (338 decided)

84.0%

Dormer (337 decided)

85.8%

Side Extension (288 decided)

89.2%

Conservatory (232 decided)

94.8%

New Build (223 decided)

84.3%

Outbuilding (155 decided)

89.0%

Wraparound Extension (70 decided)

90.0%

HMO (50 decided)

74.0%

Loft Conversion (42 decided)

88.1%

Flat Conversion (39 decided)

89.7%

Hip-to-Gable Conversion (34 decided)

76.5%

Front Extension (21 decided)

76.2%

Basement (18 decided)

94.4%

Annex (17 decided)

88.2%

Approval rate by ward

Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Wigan. Click any ward for detailed statistics.

Wigan Central (314 decided)

86.9%

Standish With Langtree (286 decided)

90.9%

Lowton East (268 decided)

91.4%

Leigh South (252 decided)

90.5%

Orrell (220 decided)

90.0%

Tyldesley (186 decided)

90.3%

Winstanley (178 decided)

88.8%

Golborne And Lowton West (168 decided)

92.9%

Shevington With Lower Ground (155 decided)

95.5%

Leigh West (154 decided)

90.9%

Hindley (140 decided)

91.4%

Leigh East (133 decided)

88.7%

Bryn (124 decided)

91.1%

Wigan West (118 decided)

88.1%

Worsley Mesnes (117 decided)

89.7%

Ashton In Makerfield South (63 decided)

90.5%

Aspull New Springs Whelley (57 decided)

75.4%

Shevington With Lower Ground And Moor (56 decided)

80.4%

Astley (51 decided)

86.3%

Atherton South And Lilford (50 decided)

78.0%

Wards in Wigan

Wigan Central

86.9% approval · 314 decisions

Standish With Langtree

90.9% approval · 286 decisions

Lowton East

91.4% approval · 268 decisions

Leigh South

90.5% approval · 252 decisions

Orrell

90.0% approval · 220 decisions

Tyldesley

90.3% approval · 186 decisions

Winstanley

88.8% approval · 178 decisions

Golborne And Lowton West

92.9% approval · 168 decisions

Shevington With Lower Ground

95.5% approval · 155 decisions

Leigh West

90.9% approval · 154 decisions

Hindley

91.4% approval · 140 decisions

Leigh East

88.7% approval · 133 decisions

Bryn

91.1% approval · 124 decisions

Wigan West

88.1% approval · 118 decisions

Worsley Mesnes

89.7% approval · 117 decisions

Ashton In Makerfield South

90.5% approval · 63 decisions

Aspull New Springs Whelley

75.4% approval · 57 decisions

Shevington With Lower Ground And Moor

80.4% approval · 56 decisions

Astley

86.3% approval · 51 decisions

Atherton South And Lilford

78.0% approval · 50 decisions

Recent comparable decisions

The most recent residential planning decisions in Wigan, showing how the council decides real applications.

A/26/100395/PDE

Single storey rear extension projecting 6.0 metres, height to the eaves 2.27 met · Winstanley · Thu 12 Mar 2026

Approved

A/26/100379/PDE

Single storey rear extension projecting 4.5 metres, height to the eaves 2.4 metr · Wigan Central · Mon 09 Mar 2026

Approved

A/26/100374/PDE

Single storey rear extension projecting 5.5 metres, height to the eaves 2.25 met · Standish With Langtree · Mon 09 Mar 2026

Approved

Showing 3 of 200 comparable decisions. See all 200 in the Pro Report →

What gets approved near your property?

In Wigan, 1 in 10 applications are refused. Your PlanningLens Pro Report gives you 17 pages of intelligence specific to your property:

✓ Ward-level approval rates for your exact area
✓ Common refusal reasons in Wigan
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect

Get Wigan Pro Report — £79

Less than one set of revised drawings. Based on 4,758 decisions.

Compare with nearby councils

Manchester Trafford Sefton Knowsley

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