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Rear Extension Approval Rates in Waltham Forest

Rear extensions are the bread and butter of UK planning — and one of the most common reasons homeowners face a refusal. Here's what 9,165 real decisions tell us about rear extension outcomes in Waltham Forest.

9,165 real decisions·January 2020 to September 2026·Updated September 2026
75.3%
Approval Rate
9,165
Decisions
6,898
Approved
2,267
Refused
75.3% approved. But 2,267 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 Waltham Forest.

TypeDecisionsRate
Wraparound Extension701
81.2%
Outbuilding666
80.2%
Dormer4,874
79.8%
Hip-to-Gable Conversion767
79.7%
Loft Conversion4,865
78.2%
Conservatory127
77.2%
Extension (General)329
76.9%
Rear Extension9,165
75.3%
Side Extension1,414
71.3%
New Build129
69.0%
Garage / Parking1,056
66.1%
Front Extension182
63.7%
Basement187
60.4%
Change of Use (Residential)786
55.2%
Flat Conversion614
51.1%
Annex32
34.4%
HMO441
23.4%
See how this applies to your postcode →

What the data tells us

1
75.3% of rear extension applications in Waltham Forest get approved. That means 2,267 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

2,267 rear extension applications in Waltham Forest 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 3,840,000+ real decisions

More Waltham Forest planning data

Nearby councils rear extension data

Methodology: Based on 9,165 planning decisions classified as rear extensions in Waltham Forest, January 2020 to September 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 Waltham Forest Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →
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