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Rear Extension Approval Rates in Woking

Rear extensions are the bread and butter of UK planning — and one of the most common reasons homeowners face a refusal. Here's what 1,035 real decisions tell us about rear extension outcomes in Woking.

1,035 real decisions·January 2020 to present·Updated June 2026
81.4%
Approval Rate
1,035
Decisions
842
Approved
193
Refused
81.4% approved. But 193 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.

Ward gap in Woking: Heathlands approves 100.0% of rear extension applications while Hoe Valley sits at 66.7%. That 33.3% gap means your postcode is one of the strongest indicators of outcome.

Rear Extension approval rate by ward

#WardDecisionsApprovedRate
1Heathlands66
100.0%
2Byfleet And West Byfleet99
100.0%
3Knaphill55
100.0%
4Canalside66
100.0%
5Horsell1412
85.7%
6Pyrford97
77.8%
7Hoe Valley64
66.7%
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These are council averages. Your property is specific.

A rear extension has a 100.0% approval rate in Heathlands but just 66.7% in Hoe Valley.
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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 Woking.

TypeDecisionsRate
Flat Conversion38
97.4%
Basement35
94.3%
Extension (General)130
88.5%
Conservatory214
87.4%
Garage / Parking837
84.1%
Wraparound Extension281
83.3%
Side Extension638
82.4%
New Build229
82.1%
Rear Extension1,035
81.4%
Front Extension280
80.7%
Dormer305
79.7%
Outbuilding333
76.6%
Hip-to-Gable Conversion54
75.9%
Loft Conversion97
74.2%
Change of Use (Residential)176
72.2%
Annex22
59.1%
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What the data tells us

1
81.4% of rear extension applications in Woking get approved. That means 193 homeowners since 2020 have been refused. Not terrible odds, but not a foregone conclusion.
2
Your ward matters more than you think. The 33.3% gap between Heathlands (100.0%) and Hoe Valley (66.7%) 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

193 rear extension applications in Woking 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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More Woking planning data

Methodology: Based on 1,035 planning decisions classified as rear extensions in Woking, 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 Woking Council's public planning portal. Full methodology →
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