Wirral Council approves 85.2% of planning applications, based on 7,259 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. Wirral is closely in line with the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 1,267 decided applications, Wirral Council approved 85.9% of planning applications in 2025. Across 7,259 decisions on record (January 2021 to September 2026), the overall approval rate in Wirral is 85.2%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Wirral council planning portal records · Data to 28 September 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 | 7,136 | 1,145 | 8,281 | 86.2% |
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 | 854 | 130 | 984 | 86.8% |
| West Kirby and Thurstaston | 650 | 97 | 747 | 87.0% |
| Hoylake and Meols | 478 | 86 | 564 | 84.8% |
| Greasby, Frankby and Irby | 424 | 91 | 515 | 82.3% |
| Bromborough | 471 | 35 | 506 | 93.1% |
| Clatterbridge | 434 | 65 | 499 | 87.0% |
| Birkenhead & Tranmere | 335 | 59 | 394 | 85.0% |
| Pensby and Thingwall | 321 | 40 | 361 | 88.9% |
| Bebington | 311 | 46 | 357 | 87.1% |
| Oxton | 287 | 45 | 332 | 86.4% |
| Eastham | 284 | 43 | 327 | 86.9% |
| Claughton | 256 | 44 | 300 | 85.3% |
| Moreton West and Saughall Massie | 235 | 33 | 268 | 87.7% |
| Prenton | 224 | 42 | 266 | 84.2% |
| Wallasey | 208 | 50 | 258 | 80.6% |
| Bidston and St James | 209 | 41 | 250 | 83.6% |
| Leasowe and Moreton East | 204 | 28 | 232 | 87.9% |
| New Brighton | 191 | 38 | 229 | 83.4% |
| Upton | 182 | 35 | 217 | 83.9% |
| Liscard | 175 | 38 | 213 | 82.2% |
| Rock Ferry | 169 | 33 | 202 | 83.7% |
| Seacombe | 161 | 23 | 184 | 87.5% |
How Wirral’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, down 2.8pp 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 |
|---|---|---|
| LDP/26/01170 Claughton | Single Storey Side Extension with External Alterations. | Refused |
| APPH/26/01124 Heswall | Demolition of existing rear conservatory. Addition of new single storey rear ext | Approved |
| APPH/26/01020 Prenton | Single storey extension to existing outbuilding to provide ancillary accommodati | Approved |
| APPH/26/00764 West Kirby and Thurstaston | First and second floor side extension; roof extension with dormers and balconies | Refused |
| APP/25/01782 Liscard | 2no. new 2-storey semi detached 2 bed houses | Approved |
| APP/26/00971 Moreton West and Saughall Massie | Erection of a detached single storey bungalow, part below ground with associated | Refused |
| APP/26/00577 Heswall | Erection of a detached three-bedroom dwelling with attached garage, including as | Refused |
| APP/26/00410 Liscard | Change of use of part of alleyway into gardens for 36 and 38 Massey Park includi | Approved |
| APPH/26/01011 Eastham | Rear extension and side extension | Approved |
| APPH/26/00756 Oxton | SINGLE STOREY SIDE AND REAR EXTENSION | 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 7,259 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 7,259 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 7,259 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Wirral is 85.2%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 7,259 planning decisions from Wirral council. 6,184 were approved and 1,075 were refused. These figures cover every decision on record for the council, January 2021 to September 2026.
The average approval rate in Wirral is 85.2%, 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.