Data-backed planning intelligence · 3,820,000+ decisions analysed across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
PlanningLens

Rear Extension Approval Rates in West Lancashire

Rear extensions are the bread and butter of UK planning — and one of the most common reasons homeowners face a refusal. Here's what 922 real decisions tell us about rear extension outcomes in West Lancashire.

922 real decisions·January 2020 to September 2026·Updated September 2026
99.2%
Approval Rate
922
Decisions
915
Approved
7
Refused
99.2% approved. But 7 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 West Lancashire

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.

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.

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 West Lancashire.

TypeDecisionsRate
Wraparound Extension67
100.0%
Side Extension524
100.0%
HMO23
100.0%
Loft Conversion141
100.0%
Front Extension93
100.0%
Hip-to-Gable Conversion20
100.0%
Dormer319
99.7%
Conservatory240
99.6%
Rear Extension922
99.2%
Garage / Parking1,040
97.7%
Annex43
97.7%
Outbuilding310
97.1%
New Build227
96.9%
Extension (General)804
94.4%
Change of Use (Residential)311
93.2%
See how this applies to your postcode →

What the data tells us

1
99.2% of rear extension applications in West Lancashire get approved. That means 7 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

7 rear extension applications in West Lancashire 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.

Check my postcode
Free · Property report emailed in minutes · Based on 3,820,000+ real decisions

More West Lancashire planning data

Methodology: Based on 922 planning decisions classified as rear extensions in West Lancashire, 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 West Lancashire Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →
Check planning approval patterns in West Lancashire — Free