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Rear Extension Approval Rates in Newham

Rear extensions are the bread and butter of UK planning — and one of the most common reasons homeowners face a refusal. Here's what 4,630 real decisions tell us about rear extension outcomes in Newham.

4,630 real decisions·January 2020 to October 2026·Updated October 2026
78.7%
Approval Rate
4,630
Decisions
3,643
Approved
987
Refused
78.7% approved. But 987 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 Newham.

TypeDecisionsRate
Wraparound Extension361
88.6%
Conservatory199
87.4%
Garage / Parking1,283
87.1%
New Build571
85.5%
Hip-to-Gable Conversion129
80.6%
Flat Conversion781
80.2%
Side Extension1,126
79.8%
Dormer3,218
78.8%
Rear Extension4,630
78.7%
Extension (General)1,670
78.7%
Loft Conversion2,132
78.6%
Outbuilding441
77.1%
Basement403
73.2%
Annex42
71.4%
Change of Use (Residential)1,395
65.2%
Front Extension89
60.7%
HMO301
38.5%
See how this applies to your postcode →

What the data tells us

1
78.7% of rear extension applications in Newham get approved. That means 987 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

987 rear extension applications in Newham 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 3,850,000+ real decisions

More Newham planning data

Nearby councils rear extension data

Methodology: Based on 4,630 planning decisions classified as rear extensions in Newham, January 2020 to October 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 Newham Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →
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