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

Rear Extension Approval Rates in Canterbury

Rear extensions are the bread and butter of UK planning — and one of the most common reasons homeowners face a refusal. Here's what 2,049 real decisions tell us about rear extension outcomes in Canterbury.

2,049 real decisions·January 2020 to August 2026·Updated August 2026
96.3%
Approval Rate
2,049
Decisions
1,973
Approved
76
Refused
96.3% approved. But 76 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 Canterbury.

TypeDecisionsRate
Wraparound Extension250
98.4%
Conservatory443
98.4%
Side Extension1,221
97.3%
Rear Extension2,049
96.3%
Annex98
95.9%
Front Extension212
95.8%
Outbuilding604
94.7%
Extension (General)373
94.4%
Hip-to-Gable Conversion54
94.4%
Garage / Parking1,513
94.3%
Dormer669
93.7%
Loft Conversion233
91.4%
Basement31
90.3%
New Build125
86.4%
Flat Conversion38
84.2%
Change of Use (Residential)363
80.2%
See how this applies to your postcode →

What the data tells us

1
96.3% of rear extension applications in Canterbury get approved. That means 76 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

76 rear extension applications in Canterbury 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 Canterbury planning data

Methodology: Based on 2,049 planning decisions classified as rear extensions in Canterbury, 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 Canterbury Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →
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