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

Rear Extension Approval Rates in Wakefield

Rear extensions are the bread and butter of UK planning — and one of the most common reasons homeowners face a refusal. Here's what 1,874 real decisions tell us about rear extension outcomes in Wakefield.

1,874 real decisions·January 2020 to August 2026·Updated August 2026
96.5%
Approval Rate
1,874
Decisions
1,809
Approved
65
Refused
96.5% approved. But 65 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 Wakefield.

TypeDecisionsRate
Wraparound Extension179
97.8%
Conservatory369
97.6%
Hip-to-Gable Conversion66
97.0%
Rear Extension1,874
96.5%
Loft Conversion259
95.8%
Front Extension277
95.3%
Side Extension1,181
95.2%
Extension (General)2,829
95.1%
Basement65
93.8%
Annex127
92.9%
Garage / Parking2,276
91.7%
Dormer699
91.1%
Flat Conversion28
89.3%
Outbuilding573
87.4%
New Build532
87.4%
Change of Use (Residential)930
86.7%
HMO83
71.1%
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What the data tells us

1
96.5% of rear extension applications in Wakefield get approved. That means 65 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

65 rear extension applications in Wakefield 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 Wakefield planning data

Nearby councils rear extension data

Methodology: Based on 1,874 planning decisions classified as rear extensions in Wakefield, 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 Wakefield Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →
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