Data-backed planning intelligence · 3,290,000+ decisions analysed across England

Most Common Planning Applications in Fife

Not all planning applications are created equal. The gap between the highest and lowest approval project type in Fife is 18.6% — that's the difference between near-certainty and a coin flip. What you build matters as much as where you build it.

5,821 real decisions·10 project types·Updated June 2026
96.1%
Safest: Rear Extension
77.5%
Lowest: HMO
18.6%
Spread
10
Types ranked

Check Planning Approval Patterns in Fife

See your ward's approval rate and nearby planning decisions — free and instant.

Check My Postcode

All 10 project types ranked

#TypeDecisionsApprovedRefusedRate
1Rear Extension76733
96.1%
2Extension (General)1,0941,04846
95.8%
3Side Extension21201
95.2%
4Conservatory101965
95.0%
5Outbuilding1661579
94.6%
6Dormer16215210
93.8%
7Garage / Parking52646066
87.5%
8Change of Use (Residential)22519332
85.8%
9New Build625488137
78.1%
10HMO40319
77.5%
See how this applies to your postcode →

These are council averages. Your property is specific.

A rear extension application has a 96.1% approval rate. HMO? Just 77.5%.
Check your postcode to see what actually happens near your address.

Check My Postcode

What the data tells us

1
The range is massive: 77.5% to 96.1%. Choosing the right project type — or framing your application correctly — can dramatically affect outcomes.
2
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.
3
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

522 planning applications in Fife 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.

Check my postcode
Free · Property report emailed in minutes · Based on 3,290,000+ real decisions

More Fife planning data

Nearby councils project type rankings

Methodology: Classifies 5,821 decisions in Fife 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 Fife Council's public planning portal, January 2020 to present. Full methodology →
Check planning approval patterns in Fife — Free