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Rear Extension Approval Rates in Bolton

Rear extensions are the bread and butter of UK planning — and one of the most common reasons homeowners face a refusal. Here's what 380 real decisions tell us about rear extension outcomes in Bolton.

380 real decisions·January 2020 to September 2026·Updated September 2026
85.3%
Approval Rate
380
Decisions
324
Approved
56
Refused
85.3% approved. But 56 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.

These are council averages. Your property is specific.

Two houses on the same street can get different outcomes.
Check your postcode to see what actually happens near your address.

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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 Bolton.

TypeDecisionsRate
Conservatory182
91.2%
Wraparound Extension44
86.4%
Rear Extension380
85.3%
Garage / Parking441
83.2%
Side Extension248
83.1%
Extension (General)995
81.4%
New Build283
79.9%
Dormer176
79.5%
Flat Conversion24
79.2%
Front Extension71
77.5%
Loft Conversion31
74.2%
Outbuilding67
71.6%
Change of Use (Residential)308
66.9%
HMO72
40.3%
See how this applies to your postcode →

What the data tells us

1
85.3% of rear extension applications in Bolton get approved. That means 56 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

56 rear extension applications in Bolton have been refused since 2020. Many of those homeowners had already paid for drawings and application fees. A free, property-specific report shows you what gets approved — and what gets refused — near your property.

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Free · Property report emailed in minutes · Based on 3,840,000+ real decisions

More Bolton planning data

Methodology: Based on 380 planning decisions classified as rear extensions in Bolton, January 2020 to September 2026. 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 Bolton Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →
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