Planning applications in Blackpool

Planning in Blackpool

Planning permission in Blackpool is a little harder to win than across the areas we cover. Of the applications decided since 2020, about 1 in 6 was refused, against about 1 in 7 across the areas we cover. Neighbouring Fylde sits at about 1 in 7, so Blackpool turns down a slightly larger share than its neighbour as well. Blackpool Council has handled 3,981 planning applications in that time, and 2,695 were approved.

What stands out is how many everyday projects are refused more often than they are nationally. Side extensions and garden rooms and outbuildings are each refused about 1 in 5 times, where the national rate is about 1 in 7. Front extensions and porches, and fences, walls and gates, are refused about 1 in 4 times, which is among the toughest results here. Windows and doors are refused about 1 in 7 times against 1 in 9 nationally, although that is still below Blackpool’s own average. Driveways and dropped kerbs, at about 1 in 5, match the national rate.

Rear extensions are the exception, and they are also the busiest kind of work, with 901 applications. About 1 in 9 was refused, which is better than the national 1 in 7 and better than Blackpool’s own average. If you are weighing up an extension, a rear one has the best record here. Loft conversions and dormers are refused about 1 in 5 times, the same as the national picture, but that is still more often than Blackpool’s average for all applications.

Because front-of-house work and boundaries do so much worse than rear work, it is worth looking at what has already been approved on nearby streets before you commit to a design.

The volume of work has eased. Blackpool received 510 applications in 2025, compared with an average of 616 a year in the three years before, and the busiest year on record is 2021 with 721. The refusal rate has improved too: about 1 in 6 in 2025, against about 1 in 5 over the three years before.

Blackpool has 7 conservation areas, 56 listed buildings and 6 Article 4 directions. If your home is in one of those, expect more questions about materials and appearance.

Figures in this section as of 9 October 2026.