Bolton planning appeals
Inspectors allowed 22% of the planning appeals decided against Bolton, 8 points below the England figure of 31%.
That ranks Bolton 149 of 195 English councils with at least 20 appeals decided, counting from the most often overturned.
What this means if you are objecting
Refusals here tend to hold up. When Bolton refuses an application, the Inspectorate agrees more often than it does nationally, which means an objection that persuades the case officer is more likely to be the end of it.
Householder appeals
18 householder appeals were decided against Bolton, with 6% allowed. These are extensions, loft conversions and the like, and they are decided under a faster procedure than a full planning appeal.
Against the rest of North West
Across North West, inspectors allowed 31% of planning appeals on average. Bolton is a metropolitan district.
Other councils in North West
- Liverpool40% (23/57)
- Cheshire West and Chester37% (25/67)
- Cheshire East36% (38/105)
- West Lancashire36% (9/25)
- Wigan36% (9/25)
- Ribble Valley36% (10/28)
- Westmorland and Furness35% (9/26)
- Warrington28% (13/46)
Objecting to an application in Bolton?
Enter the planning reference and we will check the designations on the site, the adopted local plan and the applicant's own documents, then tell you which grounds you actually have. That part is free.
Check my grounds, freeFigures cover April 2025 to March 2026 and come from the Planning Inspectorate, Decisions by LPA and decision maker, published under the Open Government Licence. Section 78 planning appeals only. “Allowed” means the inspector granted permission the council had refused. Source data.