Data-backed planning intelligence · 3,780,000+ decisions analysed across England

Rear Extension Approval Rates in Sheffield

Rear extensions are the bread and butter of UK planning — and one of the most common reasons homeowners face a refusal. Here's what 1,846 real decisions tell us about rear extension outcomes in Sheffield.

1,846 real decisions·January 2020 to August 2026·Updated August 2026
91.6%
Approval Rate
1,846
Decisions
1,691
Approved
155
Refused
91.6% approved. But 155 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 Sheffield.

TypeDecisionsRate
Annex37
94.6%
Wraparound Extension81
93.8%
Conservatory283
93.3%
Extension (General)337
92.3%
Basement140
92.1%
Change of Use (Residential)175
92.0%
Rear Extension1,846
91.6%
Side Extension1,245
90.9%
Front Extension284
90.8%
Garage / Parking1,160
89.3%
Outbuilding248
88.7%
HMO70
87.1%
Hip-to-Gable Conversion134
86.6%
Dormer531
84.7%
New Build991
83.7%
Loft Conversion40
80.0%
See how this applies to your postcode →

What the data tells us

1
91.6% of rear extension applications in Sheffield get approved. That means 155 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

155 rear extension applications in Sheffield 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 3,780,000+ real decisions

More Sheffield planning data

Nearby councils rear extension data

Methodology: Based on 1,846 planning decisions classified as rear extensions in Sheffield, 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 Sheffield Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →
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