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Rear Extension Approval Rates in Chelmsford

Rear extensions are the bread and butter of UK planning — and one of the most common reasons homeowners face a refusal. Here's what 118 real decisions tell us about rear extension outcomes in Chelmsford.

118 real decisions·January 2020 to present·Updated March 2026
86.4%
Approval Rate
118
Decisions
102
Approved
16
Refused
86.4% approved. But 16 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
1Unknown6454
84.4%
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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 Chelmsford.

TypeDecisionsRate
Front Extension29
96.6%
Conservatory25
96.0%
New Build20
90.0%
Dormer37
89.2%
Outbuilding37
89.2%
Extension (General)23
87.0%
Rear Extension118
86.4%
Garage / Parking96
85.4%
Side Extension79
83.5%
Change of Use (Residential)26
69.2%
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What the data tells us

1
86.4% of rear extension applications in Chelmsford get approved. That means 16 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

16 rear extension applications in Chelmsford 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 Chelmsford planning data

Methodology: Based on 118 planning decisions classified as rear extensions in Chelmsford, 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 Chelmsford Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →
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