What type of planning application is most likely to be approved in Croydon?

Conservatory at 84.8% based on 640 decisions.

What is hardest to get planning permission for in Croydon?

Flat Conversion at 50.5% based on 654 decisions.

How do approval rates vary by project type in Croydon?

From 84.8% (Conservatory) to 50.5% (Flat Conversion). What you build matters as much as where you build it.

Most Common Planning Applications in Croydon

Not all planning applications are created equal. The gap between the highest and lowest approval project type in Croydon is 34.3% — that's the difference between near-certainty and a coin flip. What you build matters as much as where you build it.

40,009 real decisions·17 project types·Updated June 2026

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All 17 project types ranked

#	Type	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	Conservatory	640	543	97	84.8%
2	Extension (General)	1,818	1,481	337	81.5%
3	Rear Extension	10,637	8,646	1,991	81.3%
4	Front Extension	1,081	868	213	80.3%
5	Side Extension	5,233	4,179	1,054	79.9%
6	Basement	1,744	1,386	358	79.5%
7	Dormer	5,035	3,992	1,043	79.3%
8	New Build	5,263	4,121	1,142	78.3%
9	Garage / Parking	10,499	8,194	2,305	78.0%
10	Wraparound Extension	1,030	802	228	77.9%
11	Hip-to-Gable Conversion	1,330	1,025	305	77.1%
12	Loft Conversion	2,696	2,054	642	76.2%
13	Outbuilding	1,549	1,161	388	75.0%
14	Annex	213	153	60	71.8%
15	Change of Use (Residential)	1,814	1,098	716	60.5%
16	HMO	741	376	365	50.7%
17	Flat Conversion	654	330	324	50.5%

See how this applies to your postcode →

These are council averages. Your property is specific.

A conservatory application has a 84.8% approval rate. Flat Conversion? Just 50.5%.
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What the data tells us

The range is massive: 50.5% to 84.8%. Choosing the right project type — or framing your application correctly — can dramatically affect outcomes.

Visibility drives scrutiny. Project types that change the external appearance — dormers, loft conversions, hip-to-gable — face more resistance than those that don't. The more visible your proposal, the more carefully it needs designing.

These are council-wide averages. Your ward, your street and your immediate neighbours all shift the odds. The comparable decisions near your property are the best indicator of outcome.

Before you spend £5,000+ on architects and drawings

7,628 planning applications in Croydon 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 Croydon planning data

Nearby councils project type rankings

Methodology: Classifies 40,009 decisions in Croydon into residential project types using keyword matching against proposal descriptions (matching generate_site_data.py subtype rules). A single application may appear in multiple categories. Data from Croydon Council's public planning portal, January 2020 to present. Full methodology →