Data-backed planning intelligence · 2,500,000+ decisions analysed across England

Rear Extension Approval Rates in Plymouth

Rear extensions are the bread and butter of UK planning — and one of the most common reasons homeowners face a refusal. Here's what 1,196 real decisions tell us about rear extension outcomes in Plymouth.

1,196 real decisions·January 2020 to present·Updated March 2026
97.3%
Approval Rate
1,196
Decisions
1,164
Approved
32
Refused
97.3% approved. But 32 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.

Rear Extension approval rate by ward

#WardDecisionsApprovedRate
1PLYMSTOCK DUNSTONE99
100.0%
2HAM55
100.0%
3PLYMSTOCK RADFORD55
100.0%
4COMPTON55
100.0%
5PEVERELL66
100.0%
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These are council averages. Your property is specific.

Two houses on the same street can get different outcomes.
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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 Plymouth.

TypeDecisionsRate
Wraparound Extension85
98.8%
Loft Conversion172
97.7%
Rear Extension1,196
97.3%
Flat Conversion35
97.1%
Side Extension597
96.6%
Hip-to-Gable Conversion115
96.5%
Basement72
95.8%
Dormer361
95.6%
Extension (General)273
94.1%
Front Extension150
93.3%
Conservatory160
93.1%
Outbuilding187
93.0%
HMO272
92.6%
Annex81
91.4%
Garage / Parking776
89.4%
Change of Use (Residential)429
86.5%
New Build104
78.8%
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What the data tells us

1
97.3% of rear extension applications in Plymouth get approved. That means 32 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

32 rear extension applications in Plymouth 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 Plymouth planning data

Nearby councils rear extension data

Methodology: Based on 1,196 planning decisions classified as rear extensions in Plymouth, 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 Plymouth Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →
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