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Rear Extension Approval Rates in Lancaster

Rear extensions are the bread and butter of UK planning — and one of the most common reasons homeowners face a refusal. Here's what 354 real decisions tell us about rear extension outcomes in Lancaster.

354 real decisions·January 2020 to present·Updated March 2026
93.8%
Approval Rate
354
Decisions
332
Approved
22
Refused
93.8% approved. But 22 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.

Ward gap in Lancaster: Bolton And Slyne Ward approves 100.0% of rear extension applications while Heysham Central Ward sits at 83.3%. That 16.7% gap means your postcode is one of the strongest indicators of outcome.

Rear Extension approval rate by ward

#WardDecisionsApprovedRate
1Bolton And Slyne Ward55
100.0%
2Heysham Central Ward65
83.3%
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These are council averages. Your property is specific.

A rear extension has a 100.0% approval rate in Bolton And Slyne Ward but just 83.3% in Heysham Central Ward.
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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 Lancaster.

TypeDecisionsRate
Wraparound Extension29
96.6%
Conservatory160
95.6%
Garage / Parking266
94.4%
Extension (General)434
93.8%
Rear Extension354
93.8%
Side Extension148
93.2%
Hip-to-Gable Conversion56
92.9%
New Build106
92.5%
Loft Conversion26
92.3%
Dormer211
91.0%
Outbuilding88
90.9%
Change of Use (Residential)98
85.7%
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What the data tells us

1
93.8% of rear extension applications in Lancaster get approved. That means 22 homeowners since 2020 have been refused. Not terrible odds, but not a foregone conclusion.
2
Your ward matters more than you think. The 16.7% gap between Bolton And Slyne Ward (100.0%) and Heysham Central Ward (83.3%) means your postcode is one of the strongest indicators of outcome.
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

22 rear extension applications in Lancaster 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 Lancaster planning data

Methodology: Based on 354 planning decisions classified as rear extensions in Lancaster, 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 Lancaster Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →
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