Wirral Council approves 87.6% of planning applications, based on 8,012 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. Wirral sits 1.0 percentage points below the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 1,248 decided applications, Wirral Council approved 87.2% of planning applications in 2025. Across 8,012 decisions analysed since January 2020, the overall approval rate in Wirral is 87.6%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Wirral council planning portal records · Updated August 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 Wirral.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 7,019 | 993 | 8,012 | 87.6% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heswall | 845 | 107 | 952 | 88.8% |
| West Kirby and Thurstaston | 641 | 85 | 726 | 88.3% |
| Hoylake and Meols | 468 | 75 | 543 | 86.2% |
| Bromborough | 462 | 31 | 493 | 93.7% |
| Greasby, Frankby and Irby | 418 | 74 | 492 | 85.0% |
| Clatterbridge | 425 | 60 | 485 | 87.6% |
| Birkenhead & Tranmere | 330 | 54 | 384 | 85.9% |
| Pensby and Thingwall | 319 | 33 | 352 | 90.6% |
| Bebington | 307 | 40 | 347 | 88.5% |
| Eastham | 282 | 40 | 322 | 87.6% |
| Oxton | 280 | 36 | 316 | 88.6% |
| Claughton | 251 | 41 | 292 | 86.0% |
| Moreton West and Saughall Massie | 230 | 26 | 256 | 89.8% |
| Prenton | 218 | 37 | 255 | 85.5% |
| Bidston and St James | 208 | 36 | 244 | 85.2% |
| Wallasey | 201 | 43 | 244 | 82.4% |
| Leasowe and Moreton East | 201 | 24 | 225 | 89.3% |
| New Brighton | 186 | 31 | 217 | 85.7% |
| Upton | 176 | 32 | 208 | 84.6% |
| Liscard | 172 | 32 | 204 | 84.3% |
| Rock Ferry | 168 | 30 | 198 | 84.8% |
| Seacombe | 158 | 23 | 181 | 87.3% |
How Wirral’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, down 1.2pp since 2021.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from Wirral council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| RESX/26/01017 Wallasey | Proposed single storey rear extension with lean-to roof. | Approved |
| LBC/26/00679 Oxton | Boiler replacement including new flue to run from the plant room, out of the ven | Approved |
| APPH/26/00918 Greasby, Frankby and Irby | Demolition of existing front porch and erection of replacement front porch exten | Approved |
| APPH/26/00915 Clatterbridge | Retrospective approval for a single storey side and rear extension. | Approved |
| APPH/26/00867 Bromborough | Existing conservatory to be demolished and replaced with single storey rear exte | Approved |
| APPH/26/00538 Leasowe and Moreton East | Ancillary granny flat to the existing dwelling | Approved |
| APPH/26/00501 Leasowe and Moreton East | Proposed single storey rear and side extension, to link to existing side extensi | Approved |
| APPH/26/00440 Clatterbridge | Demolition of existing garage; extension of existing drive to provide minimum 2 | Approved |
| APPH/25/01106 Heswall | Removal of porch. Fenestration alterations and replacement windows/doors. Replac | Approved |
| APP/26/00692 Rock Ferry | The installation of 6 no. replacement antenna and ancillary radio equipment onto | 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 Wirral's 8,012 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare Wirral's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
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Dig deeper into Wirral'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 Wirral. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 8,012 real decisions from Wirral 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 Wirral'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 8,012 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Wirral is 87.6%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 8,012 planning decisions from Wirral council. 7,019 were approved and 993 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in Wirral is 87.6%, 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 Wirral? 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.