Data-backed planning intelligence · 2,500,000+ decisions analysed across England

Rear Extension Approval Rates in Swansea

Rear extensions are the bread and butter of UK planning — and one of the most common reasons homeowners face a refusal. Here's what 604 real decisions tell us about rear extension outcomes in Swansea.

604 real decisions·January 2020 to present·Updated March 2026
82.8%
Approval Rate
604
Decisions
500
Approved
104
Refused
82.8% approved. But 104 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.

Check Planning Approval Patterns in Swansea

See your ward's approval rate and nearby planning decisions — free and instant.

Check My Postcode

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 Swansea: Morriston - Area 1 approves 100.0% of rear extension applications while Castle - Bay Area sits at 80.0%. That 20.0% gap means your postcode is one of the strongest indicators of outcome.

Rear Extension approval rate by ward

#WardDecisionsApprovedRate
1Morriston - Area 166
100.0%
2Sketty - Bay Area87
87.5%
3Castle - Bay Area54
80.0%
See how this applies to your postcode →

These are council averages. Your property is specific.

A rear extension has a 100.0% approval rate in Morriston - Area 1 but just 80.0% in Castle - Bay Area.
Check your postcode to see what actually happens near your address.

Check My Postcode

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 Swansea.

TypeDecisionsRate
Extension (General)68
91.2%
Conservatory137
85.4%
Outbuilding53
84.9%
Rear Extension604
82.8%
Garage / Parking344
82.0%
Side Extension379
81.0%
Change of Use (Residential)81
80.2%
Front Extension74
77.0%
Dormer120
63.3%
Loft Conversion54
50.0%
See how this applies to your postcode →

What the data tells us

1
82.8% of rear extension applications in Swansea get approved. That means 104 homeowners since 2020 have been refused. Not terrible odds, but not a foregone conclusion.
2
Your ward matters more than you think. The 20.0% gap between Morriston - Area 1 (100.0%) and Castle - Bay Area (80.0%) 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

104 rear extension applications in Swansea 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.

Check My Postcode First
Free instant check · Pro Report £79 · Based on 2,500,000+ real decisions

More Swansea planning data

Nearby councils rear extension data

Methodology: Based on 604 planning decisions classified as rear extensions in Swansea, 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 Swansea Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →
Check planning approval patterns in Swansea — Free