Data-backed planning intelligence · 3,780,000+ decisions analysed across England

Rear Extension Approval Rates in Brentwood

Rear extensions are the bread and butter of UK planning — and one of the most common reasons homeowners face a refusal. Here's what 3,885 real decisions tell us about rear extension outcomes in Brentwood.

3,885 real decisions·January 2020 to August 2026·Updated August 2026
84.2%
Approval Rate
3,885
Decisions
3,271
Approved
614
Refused
84.2% approved. But 614 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 Brentwood.

TypeDecisionsRate
Conservatory756
86.4%
Rear Extension3,885
84.2%
Extension (General)441
84.1%
Garage / Parking3,270
83.5%
Front Extension974
83.4%
Side Extension2,220
82.4%
Annex200
82.0%
Outbuilding757
81.1%
Basement168
81.0%
Wraparound Extension412
79.9%
Hip-to-Gable Conversion268
79.1%
Change of Use (Residential)395
77.2%
New Build332
77.1%
Dormer1,447
74.2%
Loft Conversion549
71.8%
Flat Conversion43
67.4%
See how this applies to your postcode →

What the data tells us

1
84.2% of rear extension applications in Brentwood get approved. That means 614 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

614 rear extension applications in Brentwood 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 3,780,000+ real decisions

More Brentwood planning data

Nearby councils rear extension data

Methodology: Based on 3,885 planning decisions classified as rear extensions in Brentwood, January 2020 to August 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 Brentwood Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →
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