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North West planning applications

130,181 applications. 90% approved. 59 days at the median council.

As of September 2026, PlanIndex holds 130,181 planning applications from 36 of the 36 local planning authorities in North West. 17,923 were decided in the trailing 12 months, with 90% of clear-cut outcomes approved.

36
Planning authorities 36 with data indexed
32,008
New applications 12 months to September 2026
17,923
Decided 12 months to September 2026
59 days
Median decision national median 56 days

Every council in North West

Applications on record, with each council's own approval rate and decision speed

Planning application volumes, approval rates and median decision times for the local planning authorities in North West. Source: PlanIndex, planindex.co.uk.
Council On record Last 12 months Approved Median days Decision times
Blackburn with Darwen 2,163 376 97% 51 How long decisions take
Blackpool 629 240 76% 74 How long decisions take
Bolton 2,607 1,018 82% 75 How long decisions take
Burnley 6,745 245 76% 54 How long decisions take
Bury 1,181 441 89% 96 How long decisions take
Cheshire East 148 139 Not yet measured
Cheshire West and Chester 11,608 3,311 96% 58 How long decisions take
Chorley 1,837 631 86% 74 How long decisions take
Cumberland 7,803 2,025 98% 56 How long decisions take
Fylde 1,727 719 95% 55 How long decisions take
Halton 634 257 96% 77 How long decisions take
Hyndburn 569 245 78% 50 How long decisions take
Knowsley 3,772 288 94% 74 How long decisions take
Lake District National Park 4,151 3,405 92% 54 How long decisions take
Lancaster 3,222 991 86% 55 How long decisions take
Liverpool 186 40 Not yet measured
Manchester 19,036 3,725 88% 55 How long decisions take
Oldham 4,877 577 91% 83 How long decisions take
Pendle 2,711 399 87% 55 How long decisions take
Preston 987 813 93% 51 How long decisions take
Ribble Valley 2,249 443 84% 64 How long decisions take
Rochdale 6,202 528 90% 55 How long decisions take
Rossendale 1,001 271 88% 84 How long decisions take
Salford 5,112 1,185 85% 56 How long decisions take
Sefton 1,467 585 88% 60 How long decisions take
South Ribble 1,326 414 95% 75 How long decisions take
St. Helens 4,979 524 93% 80 How long decisions take
Stockport 2,821 1,263 95% 49 How long decisions take
Tameside 1,836 589 89% 60 How long decisions take
Trafford 2,948 999 85% 57 How long decisions take
Warrington 2,417 980 Not yet measured
West Lancashire 2,145 705 84% 80 How long decisions take
Westmorland and Furness 2,982 2,234 94% 56 How long decisions take
Wigan 2,383 838 88% 87 How long decisions take
Wirral 12,599 322 Not yet measured
Wyre 1,121 395 90% 64 How long decisions take

Approval rates and median days come from the PlanIndex decision-times study; a dash means the council has too few timed decisions to measure fairly. Councils without a count are not yet ingested.

Latest applications in North West

Data to September 2026

  • 26/02846/TPO Awaiting decision

    31 Covert Rise Tattenhall Chester Cheshire West And Chester CH3 9HA

    T1- X1 Oak Tree. To carry out a crown reduction on the entire tree canopy of between 2-3 metres. The tree is in clear decline, sparse canopy, lacking vitality, lots of deadwood and branch dieback. The root system on around 40% of the tree looks to have been covered with historic amounts of soil when the property was constructed.

    Submitted 8 Sep 2026 Trees
  • 26/02848/DIS Awaiting decision

    The Lodge 15 Ashbery Road Backford Chester CH1 6QD

    Discharge of condition 4 (window and door detail) of 25/03025/LBC

    Submitted 8 Sep 2026
  • 01628/26 Awaiting decision

    44 Rigby Lane Bolton BL2 3EQ

    NOTICE OF INTENTION TO FELL 5 NO. ASH AND 2 NO. BIRCH

    Submitted 8 Sep 2026
  • 01629/26 Awaiting decision

    Little Lever School Church Street Bolton BL3 1BT

    DISCHARGE OF CONDITION 7 (MATERIALS) ON APPLICATION 20792/25

    Submitted 8 Sep 2026
  • 01630/26 Awaiting decision

    155 Ellesmere Road Bolton BL3 3JN

    CERTIFICATE OF LAWFULNESS PROPOSED (S192) FOR CHANGE OF USE FROM DWELLING (C3) TO RESIDENTIAL CHILDRENS FACILITY/HOME (C2) FOR UP TO 1 NO. CHILDREN/YOUNG PERSONS

    Submitted 8 Sep 2026
  • 26/00793/FUL Awaiting decision

    Woodview Bungalow Wood Lane Mawdesley Ormskirk L40 2RL

    Erection of private stable block for two horses and one tack room

    Submitted 7 Sep 2026 Full applications
  • 2026/0736/CON Awaiting decision

    Tarleton Garage Southport New Road Tarleton Preston Lancashire PR4 6LB

    Approval of details reserved by condition no 14 of planning permission 2023/0624/FUL relating to Pre-Construction Validation Report, Remediation Method Statement, Asbestos Management Plan and Groun...

    Submitted 7 Sep 2026
  • 01620/26 Awaiting decision

    22 Poppy Close Bolton BL2 3PQ

    ERECTION OF A TWO STOREY REAR EXTENSION WITH SINGLE STOREY SIDE EXTENSION

    Submitted 7 Sep 2026
  • 01621/26 Awaiting decision

    9 Hewlett Way Bolton BL5 2QZ

    CONVERSION OF EXISTING GARAGE TO HABITABLE ROOM TOGETHER WITH REMOVAL OF GARAGE DOOR TO WINDOW

    Submitted 7 Sep 2026
  • 26/00092/PLCOND Awaiting decision

    16 Ashes Lane Stalybridge Tameside SK15 2RH

    Full discharge of Condition 3 (Materials) of planning reference 26/00469/FUL

    Submitted 7 Sep 2026

Common questions

How many local planning authorities are there in North West?

North West has 36 local planning authorities listed on PlanIndex, 36 of which have applications indexed here. Each has its own hub with volumes, approval rates and the latest submissions.

How many planning applications does North West decide?

In the 12 months to September 2026, councils in North West decided 17,923 planning applications. 90% of clear-cut outcomes were approvals.

Which council in North West decides planning applications fastest?

Of the 32 North West councils ranked in the PlanIndex decision-times study, Stockport had the fastest median in the year to September 2026 at 49 days from application to decision. The slowest was Bury at 96 days.

How long does a planning decision take in North West?

Taking the median council in North West, a planning decision takes 59 days from application to decision, measured across 17,440 decisions from 32 ranked councils. The figure is the median of each council's own median, so one large authority cannot move it on its own.

Which is the busiest council in North West for planning applications?

Manchester recorded 3,725 applications in the 12 months to September 2026, the most of any council in North West over that period.