What type of planning application is most likely to be approved in Medway?

Conservatory at 93.7% based on 648 decisions.

What is hardest to get planning permission for in Medway?

HMO at 79.9% based on 219 decisions.

How do approval rates vary by project type in Medway?

From 93.7% (Conservatory) to 79.9% (HMO). What you build matters as much as where you build it.

Most Common Planning Applications in Medway

Not all planning applications are created equal. The gap between the highest and lowest approval project type in Medway is 13.8% — that's the difference between near-certainty and a coin flip. What you build matters as much as where you build it.

10,302 real decisions·17 project types·Updated March 2026

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All 17 project types ranked

#	Type	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	Conservatory	648	607	41	93.7%
2	Loft Conversion	385	360	25	93.5%
3	Hip-to-Gable Conversion	168	157	11	93.5%
4	Front Extension	202	188	14	93.1%
5	Rear Extension	1,091	995	96	91.2%
6	Wraparound Extension	87	79	8	90.8%
7	Dormer	1,192	1,077	115	90.4%
8	Side Extension	719	644	75	89.6%
9	Basement	112	100	12	89.3%
10	Outbuilding	589	513	76	87.1%
11	Extension (General)	1,849	1,597	252	86.4%
12	Garage / Parking	2,210	1,864	346	84.3%
13	Change of Use (Residential)	793	661	132	83.4%
14	New Build	46	38	8	82.6%
15	Annex	180	146	34	81.1%
16	Flat Conversion	72	58	14	80.6%
17	HMO	219	175	44	79.9%

See how this applies to your postcode →

These are council averages. Your property is specific.

A conservatory application has a 93.7% approval rate. HMO? Just 79.9%.
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What the data tells us

The range is massive: 79.9% to 93.7%. Choosing the right project type — or framing your application correctly — can dramatically affect outcomes.

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.

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

1,225 planning applications in Medway 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 Medway planning data

Nearby councils project type rankings

Methodology: Classifies 10,302 decisions in Medway 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 Medway Council's public planning portal, January 2020 to present. Full methodology →