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Rear Extension Approval Rates in Sefton

Rear extensions are the bread and butter of UK planning — and one of the most common reasons homeowners face a refusal. Here's what 426 real decisions tell us about rear extension outcomes in Sefton.

426 real decisions·January 2020 to present·Updated March 2026
88.7%
Approval Rate
426
Decisions
378
Approved
48
Refused
88.7% approved. But 48 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
1Molyneux Ward55
100.0%
2Meols Ward55
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 Sefton.

TypeDecisionsRate
Wraparound Extension32
100.0%
Hip-to-Gable Conversion39
100.0%
Conservatory356
97.5%
Front Extension26
96.2%
Side Extension162
95.1%
Annex40
95.0%
Extension (General)1,770
93.3%
Loft Conversion60
93.3%
Dormer438
92.2%
Garage / Parking842
91.2%
Outbuilding273
90.1%
Rear Extension426
88.7%
Basement36
86.1%
New Build316
84.5%
Flat Conversion78
74.4%
Change of Use (Residential)473
71.5%
HMO54
29.6%
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What the data tells us

1
88.7% of rear extension applications in Sefton get approved. That means 48 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

48 rear extension applications in Sefton 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 Sefton planning data

Nearby councils rear extension data

Methodology: Based on 426 planning decisions classified as rear extensions in Sefton, 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 Sefton Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →
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