Data-backed planning intelligence · 2,500,000+ 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 1,561 real decisions tell us about rear extension outcomes in Sheffield.

1,561 real decisions·January 2020 to present·Updated March 2026
92.2%
Approval Rate
1,561
Decisions
1,440
Approved
121
Refused
92.2% approved. But 121 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
1Darnall86
75.0%
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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 Sheffield.

TypeDecisionsRate
Wraparound Extension62
95.2%
Annex33
93.9%
Conservatory243
93.0%
Change of Use (Residential)135
92.6%
Rear Extension1,561
92.2%
Extension (General)277
91.7%
Side Extension1,063
91.4%
Basement113
91.2%
Front Extension254
90.6%
Garage / Parking1,009
89.2%
Hip-to-Gable Conversion103
88.3%
Outbuilding199
87.9%
Dormer441
85.0%
HMO53
84.9%
New Build840
83.6%
Loft Conversion33
78.8%
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What the data tells us

1
92.2% of rear extension applications in Sheffield get approved. That means 121 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

121 rear extension applications in Sheffield 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 Sheffield planning data

Nearby councils rear extension data

Methodology: Based on 1,561 planning decisions classified as rear extensions in Sheffield, 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 Sheffield Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →
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