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Rear Extension Approval Rates in Hertsmere

Rear extensions are the bread and butter of UK planning — and one of the most common reasons homeowners face a refusal. Here's what 1,306 real decisions tell us about rear extension outcomes in Hertsmere.

1,306 real decisions·January 2020 to September 2026·Updated September 2026
86.6%
Approval Rate
1,306
Decisions
1,131
Approved
175
Refused
86.6% approved. But 175 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.

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 Hertsmere.

TypeDecisionsRate
HMO27
100.0%
Flat Conversion28
100.0%
Front Extension162
95.1%
Wraparound Extension121
95.0%
Basement32
93.8%
Hip-to-Gable Conversion145
93.1%
Garage / Parking549
91.6%
Dormer514
91.4%
Change of Use (Residential)74
90.5%
Extension (General)77
89.6%
Outbuilding168
89.3%
Conservatory169
88.2%
Side Extension371
87.6%
Rear Extension1,306
86.6%
Loft Conversion95
83.2%
New Build97
82.5%
See how this applies to your postcode →

What the data tells us

1
86.6% of rear extension applications in Hertsmere get approved. That means 175 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

175 rear extension applications in Hertsmere 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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Free · Property report emailed in minutes · Based on 3,820,000+ real decisions

More Hertsmere planning data

Methodology: Based on 1,306 planning decisions classified as rear extensions in Hertsmere, 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 Hertsmere Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →
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