Wirral Council approves 87.6% of planning applications, based on 7,846 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.3%. Wirral is closely in line with the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 1,248 decided applications, Wirral Council approved 87.2% of planning applications in 2025. Across 7,846 decisions analysed since January 2020, the overall approval rate in Wirral is 87.6%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.3%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Wirral council planning portal records · Updated June 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 | 6,872 | 974 | 7,846 | 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 | 831 | 100 | 931 | 89.3% |
| West Kirby and Thurstaston | 629 | 85 | 714 | 88.1% |
| Hoylake and Meols | 461 | 75 | 536 | 86.0% |
| Greasby, Frankby and Irby | 413 | 73 | 486 | 85.0% |
| Bromborough | 449 | 30 | 479 | 93.7% |
| Clatterbridge | 413 | 60 | 473 | 87.3% |
| Birkenhead & Tranmere | 319 | 52 | 371 | 86.0% |
| Pensby and Thingwall | 314 | 33 | 347 | 90.5% |
| Bebington | 298 | 39 | 337 | 88.4% |
| Eastham | 274 | 40 | 314 | 87.3% |
| Oxton | 277 | 33 | 310 | 89.4% |
| Claughton | 245 | 41 | 286 | 85.7% |
| Moreton West and Saughall Massie | 227 | 26 | 253 | 89.7% |
| Prenton | 215 | 35 | 250 | 86.0% |
| Wallasey | 197 | 42 | 239 | 82.4% |
| Bidston and St James | 203 | 35 | 238 | 85.3% |
| Leasowe and Moreton East | 193 | 24 | 217 | 88.9% |
| New Brighton | 181 | 31 | 212 | 85.4% |
| Upton | 173 | 32 | 205 | 84.4% |
| Liscard | 167 | 32 | 199 | 83.9% |
| Rock Ferry | 164 | 30 | 194 | 84.5% |
| Seacombe | 156 | 23 | 179 | 87.2% |
How Wirral’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, down 1.1pp 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 |
|---|---|---|
| DEM/26/00818 Liscard | Proposed demolition of Dominick House, St Albans Road, Liscard, CH44 5XS. | Refused |
| APP/26/00461 Hoylake and Meols | Installation of extractor unit from kitchen area | Approved |
| RVC/26/00715 Heswall | Vary C2 - extend the garage wall forward in line with the front of the porch (26 | Approved |
| OUT/22/00957 Bromborough | Application for outline planning permission with access considered for the demol | Approved |
| LBC/26/00517 Bidston and St James | Installation of 1no. IP rated external light on front elevation | Approved |
| LBC/26/00419 Bidston and St James | Listed Building consent for: Replacement of roller shutter with full-width timbe | Refused |
| APPH/26/00713 West Kirby and Thurstaston | Proposed single storey rear extension with pitched roof over. Proposed pitch roo | Approved |
| APPH/26/00655 Heswall | Single storey side, rear and porch extension | Approved |
| APPH/26/00606 Moreton West and Saughall Massie | Continuation of front dormer to bedroom with garage conversion and external alte | Approved |
| APPH/26/00582 Greasby, Frankby and Irby | Two storey side extension with hipped roof and external alterations. | 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 7,846 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare Wirral's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
More council comparisons coming soon.
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 7,846 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 7,846 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Wirral is 87.6%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.3%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 7,846 planning decisions from Wirral council. 6,872 were approved and 974 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.