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Rear Extension Approval Rates in Luton

Rear extensions are the bread and butter of UK planning — and one of the most common reasons homeowners face a refusal. Here's what 2,280 real decisions tell us about rear extension outcomes in Luton.

2,280 real decisions·January 2020 to August 2026·Updated August 2026
90.2%
Approval Rate
2,280
Decisions
2,057
Approved
223
Refused
90.2% approved. But 223 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 Luton.

TypeDecisionsRate
Conservatory52
92.3%
Garage / Parking694
90.6%
Rear Extension2,280
90.2%
Extension (General)99
87.9%
Front Extension195
84.6%
Wraparound Extension136
82.4%
Hip-to-Gable Conversion53
81.1%
New Build404
80.9%
Outbuilding141
80.1%
Side Extension490
79.8%
Loft Conversion182
79.7%
Dormer263
79.1%
Annex36
72.2%
Change of Use (Residential)349
69.3%
HMO67
62.7%
See how this applies to your postcode →

What the data tells us

1
90.2% of rear extension applications in Luton get approved. That means 223 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

223 rear extension applications in Luton 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 3,770,000+ real decisions

More Luton planning data

Methodology: Based on 2,280 planning decisions classified as rear extensions in Luton, January 2020 to August 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 Luton Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →
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