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Rear Extension Approval Rates in Cornwall

Rear extensions are the bread and butter of UK planning — and one of the most common reasons homeowners face a refusal. Here's what 323 real decisions tell us about rear extension outcomes in Cornwall.

323 real decisions·January 2020 to present·Updated March 2026
97.8%
Approval Rate
323
Decisions
316
Approved
7
Refused
97.8% approved. But 7 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 Cornwall.

TypeDecisionsRate
Wraparound Extension21
100.0%
Side Extension187
98.9%
Dormer206
98.1%
Rear Extension323
97.8%
Annex221
97.7%
Conservatory169
97.0%
Extension (General)1,169
96.6%
Outbuilding355
96.6%
Front Extension28
96.4%
Basement23
95.7%
Garage / Parking976
93.0%
Loft Conversion119
92.4%
Change of Use (Residential)374
92.0%
New Build265
83.0%
See how this applies to your postcode →

What the data tells us

1
97.8% of rear extension applications in Cornwall get approved. That means 7 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

7 rear extension applications in Cornwall 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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Free instant check · Pro Report £79 · Based on 2,500,000+ real decisions

More Cornwall planning data

Nearby councils rear extension data

Methodology: Based on 323 planning decisions classified as rear extensions in Cornwall, 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 Cornwall Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →
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