Planiverse / Authorities / St. Helens

St. Helens

In the last 12 months, 98.0% of householder applications were approved in St. Helens (153 decided). A typical householder decision takes about nine weeks (median 60 days).

Full planning applications: 91.4% approved (70 decided).

Across all application types on record (2023-01-24–2026-05-26): 94.2% of 1,560 decisions approved.

3,015Total applications
1,470Approved
90Refused
65Withdrawn
1,014Pending
94.2%Approval rate (all types)
Check a property in St. Helens
Decision Level
1,590Delegated Decision
1,158Not Available
40Committee Decision
By Development Category
CategoryTotalApprovedRefusedApproval rate
Householder 544 526 18
96.7%
Full Planning Application 247 219 28
88.7%
Discharge of Conditions 234 234 0
100.0%
Certificate of Lawfulness (Proposed) 126 111 15
88.1%
Non-Material Amendment (S96a) 107 103 4
96.3%
Tree Works (TPO) 84 74 10
88.1%
Prior Approval (Other) 50 50 0
100.0%
Advertisement Consent 50 44 6
88.0%
Tree Works (Conservation Area) 25 25 0
100.0%
Variation/Removal of Conditions (S73) 20 19 1
95.0%
Listed Building Consent 11 11 0
100.0%
Certificate of Lawfulness (Existing) 10 10 0
100.0%
Solar Pannels on Non-Resi Prior 10 10 0
100.0%
Outline Planning 6 3 3
50.0%
Telecommunications 6 4 2
66.7%
Section 73 - Removal/Variation of Condit 5 5 0
100.0%
Reserved Matters 3 3 0
100.0%
Prior Approval (Class Q — Agricultural to Residential) 3 1 2
33.3%
Householder (Prior Approval) 3 3 0
100.0%
Demolition Prior Approval 3 3 0
100.0%
Permission In Principle 3 2 1
66.7%
Environmental Impact Assessment (Screening/Scoping) 2 2 0
100.0%
Shop to Dwelling Prior Approval 2 2 0
100.0%
Agriculture Prior Approval 2 2 0
100.0%
Sui Generis to Dwelling Prior Approval 1 1 0
100.0%
Office to Dwelling Prior Approval 1 1 0
100.0%
Prior Approval (Class AA — Upward Extension) 1 1 0
100.0%
Hedgerow Removal 1 1 0
100.0%
Quarterly Trend
QuarterDecidedApprovedApproval rate
2023-Q3 119 108
90.8%
2023-Q4 197 184
93.4%
2024-Q1 149 135
90.6%
2024-Q2 201 188
93.5%
2024-Q3 173 163
94.2%
2024-Q4 110 104
94.5%
2025-Q1 64 62
96.9%
2025-Q2 71 69
97.2%
2025-Q3 41 38
92.7%
2025-Q4 103 98
95.1%
2026-Q1 202 197
97.5%
2026-Q2 127 121
95.3%
By Ward
WardTotalApprovedRefusedApproval rate
Town Centre Ward 165 153 12
92.7%
Eccleston Ward 148 139 9
93.9%
Rainhill Ward 147 135 12
91.8%
Rainford Ward 146 135 11
92.5%
Newton East Ward 137 133 4
97.1%
Bold And Lea Green Ward 116 110 6
94.8%
Windle Ward 104 99 5
95.2%
Billinge And Seneley Green Ward 87 82 5
94.3%
Newton West Ward 85 81 4
95.3%
Haydock Ward 82 79 3
96.3%
Moss Bank Ward 64 62 2
96.9%
Sutton North West Ward 56 54 2
96.4%
Planning guides

Not sure what you can build without planning permission? See our guides to permitted development rights and Article 4 directions.