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Rear Extension Approval Rates in Surrey Heath

Rear extensions are the bread and butter of UK planning — and one of the most common reasons homeowners face a refusal. Here's what 1,369 real decisions tell us about rear extension outcomes in Surrey Heath.

1,369 real decisions·January 2020 to present·Updated June 2026
89.2%
Approval Rate
1,369
Decisions
1,221
Approved
148
Refused
89.2% approved. But 148 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.

Ward gap in Surrey Heath: Watchetts approves 100.0% of rear extension applications while Bisley & West End sits at 77.8%. That 22.2% gap means your postcode is one of the strongest indicators of outcome.

Rear Extension approval rate by ward

#WardDecisionsApprovedRate
1Watchetts66
100.0%
2Lightwater66
100.0%
3St Pauls66
100.0%
4Windlesham & Chobham1312
92.3%
5Parkside87
87.5%
6Town54
80.0%
7Bisley & West End97
77.8%
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These are council averages. Your property is specific.

A rear extension has a 100.0% approval rate in Watchetts but just 77.8% in Bisley & West End.
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 Surrey Heath.

TypeDecisionsRate
HMO29
100.0%
Basement28
96.4%
Conservatory385
90.9%
Wraparound Extension200
89.5%
Rear Extension1,369
89.2%
Annex36
88.9%
Garage / Parking1,025
88.8%
Side Extension1,046
88.4%
Front Extension428
87.9%
Outbuilding199
87.4%
Extension (General)187
87.2%
Change of Use (Residential)169
87.0%
New Build351
84.3%
Dormer246
80.1%
Loft Conversion54
79.6%
See how this applies to your postcode →

What the data tells us

1
89.2% of rear extension applications in Surrey Heath get approved. That means 148 homeowners since 2020 have been refused. Not terrible odds, but not a foregone conclusion.
2
Your ward matters more than you think. The 22.2% gap between Watchetts (100.0%) and Bisley & West End (77.8%) means your postcode is one of the strongest indicators of outcome.
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

148 rear extension applications in Surrey Heath 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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More Surrey Heath planning data

Methodology: Based on 1,369 planning decisions classified as rear extensions in Surrey Heath, 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 Surrey Heath Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →
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