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

Loft Conversion Approval Rates in Westminster

Loft conversions change your roofline — and that makes them one of the more closely scrutinised application types. Councils scrutinise visibility, overlooking and street character more closely than for ground-level work. Here's what the data shows in Westminster.

2,936 real decisions·January 2020 to present·Updated March 2026
88.6%
Approval Rate
2,936
Decisions
2,602
Approved
334
Refused
88.6% approved. But 334 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 loft conversion approval rates matter

Loft conversions face more scrutiny than rear or side extensions because they change the property's profile from the street. Dormers, mansards and hip-to-gable alterations are particularly sensitive.

Loft Conversion approval rate by ward

#WardDecisionsApprovedRate
1KBW_2255
100.0%
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These are council averages. Your property is specific.

Two houses on the same street can get different outcomes.
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How loft conversions compare to other project types

Not all applications are treated equally. Here's how loft conversions stack up against other common projects in Westminster.

TypeDecisionsRate
Flat Conversion590
96.6%
Annex105
94.3%
Garage / Parking2,685
93.6%
Basement9,448
92.8%
New Build1,297
92.8%
Change of Use (Residential)683
91.5%
Extension (General)3,274
91.0%
Conservatory585
90.4%
Front Extension49
89.8%
Loft Conversion2,936
88.6%
Side Extension465
88.6%
Outbuilding586
88.4%
Rear Extension3,068
87.7%
Dormer1,160
86.1%
Wraparound Extension28
82.1%
HMO119
77.3%
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What the data tells us

1
88.6% of loft conversion applications in Westminster get approved. That means 334 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

334 loft conversion applications in Westminster 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.

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More Westminster planning data

Nearby councils loft conversion data

Methodology: Based on 2,936 planning decisions classified as loft conversions in Westminster, 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 Westminster Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →
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