Data-backed planning intelligence · 2,500,000+ decisions analysed across England

Rear Extension Approval Rates in Barnsley

Rear extensions are the bread and butter of UK planning — and one of the most common reasons homeowners face a refusal. Here's what 3,843 real decisions tell us about rear extension outcomes in Barnsley.

3,843 real decisions·January 2020 to present·Updated March 2026
95.4%
Approval Rate
3,843
Decisions
3,666
Approved
177
Refused
95.4% approved. But 177 refused since 2020. Each refusal cost the homeowner time and money on drawings and application fees. Understanding your local data before you apply is the difference between confidence and a costly gamble.

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Why rear extension approval rates matter

Rear extensions sit in the middle of the pack nationally. They're common enough that councils have clear precedent — but that cuts both ways. If your neighbours have been refused, that precedent works against you too.

Rear Extension approval rate by ward

#WardDecisionsApprovedRate
1Penistone East Ward1110
90.9%
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These are council averages. Your property is specific.

Two houses on the same street can get different outcomes.
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How rear extensions compare to other project types

Not all applications are treated equally. Here's how rear extensions stack up against other common projects in Barnsley.

TypeDecisionsRate
Wraparound Extension378
95.5%
Rear Extension3,843
95.4%
Side Extension3,356
94.4%
Conservatory1,070
93.9%
Extension (General)2,910
92.4%
Front Extension1,134
91.6%
Loft Conversion199
90.5%
Outbuilding758
89.4%
Basement62
88.7%
Garage / Parking4,258
88.3%
Change of Use (Residential)1,529
86.3%
Dormer764
85.7%
New Build5,001
84.8%
Flat Conversion99
79.8%
Annex226
77.0%
HMO109
56.0%
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What the data tells us

1
95.4% of rear extension applications in Barnsley get approved. That means 177 homeowners since 2020 have been refused. Not terrible odds, but not a foregone conclusion.
3
Council averages are starting points, not guarantees. The decisions that matter most are the comparable ones near your specific property — because planning officers look at precedent, character and the immediate context of your street.

Before you spend £5,000+ on architects and drawings

177 rear extension applications in Barnsley have been refused since 2020. Many of those homeowners had already paid for drawings and application fees. A £79 report shows you what gets approved — and what gets refused — near your property.

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More Barnsley planning data

Methodology: Based on 3,843 planning decisions classified as rear extensions in Barnsley, January 2020 to present. Classification uses keyword matching against proposal descriptions (matching generate_site_data.py rules). A single application may appear in multiple categories. Approval rate = approved / (approved + refused). Pending, withdrawn and invalid applications excluded. Data from Barnsley Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →
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