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

Conservatory at 84.9% based on 604 decisions.

What is hardest to get planning permission for in Croydon?

HMO at 49.4% based on 678 decisions.

How do approval rates vary by project type in Croydon?

From 84.9% (Conservatory) to 49.4% (HMO). 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 35.5% — that's the difference between near-certainty and a coin flip. What you build matters as much as where you build it.

38,435 real decisions·17 project types·Updated March 2026

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All 17 project types ranked

#	Type	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	Conservatory	604	513	91	84.9%
2	Extension (General)	1,739	1,416	323	81.4%
3	Rear Extension	10,142	8,224	1,918	81.1%
4	Front Extension	1,008	801	207	79.5%
5	Basement	1,704	1,355	349	79.5%
6	Side Extension	4,960	3,938	1,022	79.4%
7	Dormer	4,807	3,806	1,001	79.2%
8	New Build	5,099	3,986	1,113	78.2%
9	Garage / Parking	10,172	7,917	2,255	77.8%
10	Wraparound Extension	982	762	220	77.6%
11	Hip-to-Gable Conversion	1,267	970	297	76.6%
12	Loft Conversion	2,549	1,933	616	75.8%
13	Outbuilding	1,457	1,080	377	74.1%
14	Annex	208	148	60	71.2%
15	Change of Use (Residential)	1,701	1,031	670	60.6%
16	Flat Conversion	613	303	310	49.4%
17	HMO	678	335	343	49.4%

See how this applies to your postcode →

These are council averages. Your property is specific.

A conservatory application has a 84.9% approval rate. HMO? Just 49.4%.
Check your postcode to see what actually happens near your address.

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What the data tells us

The range is massive: 49.4% to 84.9%. 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

7,369 planning applications in Croydon 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 Croydon planning data

Nearby councils project type rankings

Methodology: Classifies 38,435 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 →