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

Rear Extension Approval Rates in South Gloucestershire

Rear extensions are the bread and butter of UK planning — and one of the most common reasons homeowners face a refusal. Here's what 3,944 real decisions tell us about rear extension outcomes in South Gloucestershire.

3,944 real decisions·January 2020 to August 2026·Updated August 2026
90.4%
Approval Rate
3,944
Decisions
3,567
Approved
377
Refused
90.4% approved. But 377 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.
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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 South Gloucestershire.

TypeDecisionsRate
Conservatory468
91.9%
Wraparound Extension422
90.5%
Rear Extension3,944
90.4%
Basement39
89.7%
Side Extension2,511
87.0%
Outbuilding880
84.7%
Front Extension647
84.5%
Hip-to-Gable Conversion240
83.8%
Garage / Parking2,679
83.6%
Dormer1,083
82.5%
Extension (General)594
82.2%
Loft Conversion727
80.2%
Change of Use (Residential)1,049
80.2%
Flat Conversion45
80.0%
Annex401
78.8%
HMO314
78.3%
New Build2,749
76.8%
See how this applies to your postcode →

What the data tells us

1
90.4% of rear extension applications in South Gloucestershire get approved. That means 377 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

377 rear extension applications in South Gloucestershire 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 South Gloucestershire planning data

Nearby councils rear extension data

Methodology: Based on 3,944 planning decisions classified as rear extensions in South Gloucestershire, 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 South Gloucestershire Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →
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