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Loft Conversion Approval Rates in Cotswold

Loft conversions change your roofline — and that makes them one of the more closely scrutinised application types. Councils scrutinise visibility, overlooking and street character more closely than for ground-level work. Here's what the data shows in Cotswold.

241 real decisions·January 2020 to September 2026·Updated September 2026
93.8%
Approval Rate
241
Decisions
226
Approved
15
Refused
93.8% approved. But 15 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 loft conversion approval rates matter

Loft conversions face more scrutiny than rear or side extensions because they change the property's profile from the street. Dormers, mansards and hip-to-gable alterations are particularly sensitive.

These are council averages. Your property is specific.

Two houses on the same street can get different outcomes.
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How loft conversions compare to other project types

Not all applications are treated equally. Here's how loft conversions stack up against other common projects in Cotswold.

TypeDecisionsRate
Conservatory530
98.3%
Outbuilding2,034
97.0%
Basement111
96.4%
Side Extension1,323
95.9%
Rear Extension2,480
95.5%
Wraparound Extension233
95.3%
Front Extension289
95.2%
Annex400
95.0%
Extension (General)2,227
94.7%
Garage / Parking3,473
94.6%
Loft Conversion241
93.8%
Dormer730
92.5%
Change of Use (Residential)1,181
90.9%
New Build1,897
90.0%
Flat Conversion30
83.3%
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What the data tells us

1
93.8% of loft conversion applications in Cotswold get approved. That means 15 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

15 loft conversion applications in Cotswold 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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More Cotswold planning data

Nearby councils loft conversion data

Methodology: Based on 241 planning decisions classified as loft conversions in Cotswold, 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 Cotswold Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →
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