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Rear Extension Approval Rates in Darlington

Rear extensions are the bread and butter of UK planning — and one of the most common reasons homeowners face a refusal. Here's what 443 real decisions tell us about rear extension outcomes in Darlington.

443 real decisions·January 2020 to present·Updated March 2026
95.3%
Approval Rate
443
Decisions
422
Approved
21
Refused
95.3% approved. But 21 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
1Sadberge And Middleton St George77
100.0%
2Hummersknott55
100.0%
3Eastbourne66
100.0%
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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 Darlington.

TypeDecisionsRate
Loft Conversion35
97.1%
Garage / Parking530
96.2%
Outbuilding155
96.1%
Conservatory124
96.0%
Rear Extension443
95.3%
Side Extension147
95.2%
Annex21
95.2%
Wraparound Extension42
95.2%
Extension (General)305
94.8%
Dormer111
94.6%
New Build263
92.4%
Change of Use (Residential)139
85.6%
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What the data tells us

1
95.3% of rear extension applications in Darlington get approved. That means 21 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

21 rear extension applications in Darlington 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 Darlington planning data

Nearby councils rear extension data

Methodology: Based on 443 planning decisions classified as rear extensions in Darlington, 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 Darlington Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →
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