What is the average rear extension approval rate in the UK?

Across 223 councils and 583,051 decisions, the average approval rate is 91.1%. But rates vary enormously by council and location.

Which council has the highest rear extension approval rate?

Mid Devon at 100.0% based on 342 decisions.

How many rear extension applications get refused?

Of 583,051 decisions nationally, 78,059 were refused. That is roughly 1 in 7 applications.

Rear Extension: What Are Your Chances? UK Approval Rates (June 2026)

10 Best Councils for Rear Extensions

These councils approve rear extension applications at the highest rate. But remember, a high council average can hide wards where refusal rates are double the headline figure.

#	Council	Decisions	Refused	Rate
1	Mid Devon	342	0	100.0%
2	Ards and North Down Borough Council	1,592	1	99.9%
3	Fareham	555	1	99.8%
4	Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council	617	2	99.7%
5	Derry City and Strabane District Council	1,327	4	99.7%
6	Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council	479	2	99.6%
7	Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council	624	3	99.5%
8	Fermanagh and Omagh District Council	539	3	99.4%
9	Hinckley & Bosworth	846	5	99.4%
10	South Lanarkshire	4,945	29	99.4%

Found your council? See what's happening at street level →

10 Hardest Councils for Rear Extensions

These councils refuse rear extensions at the highest rate. If you're planning a rear extension in one of these areas, checking your local data first could save you thousands in wasted fees.

#	Council	Decisions	Refused	Rate
1	Greenwich	5,514	1,851	66.4%
2	Cardiff	364	117	67.9%
3	Brent	12,232	3,349	72.6%
4	Gravesham	345	86	75.1%
5	Waltham Forest	8,905	2,200	75.3%
6	Harrow	10,512	2,601	75.3%
7	Lewisham	4,713	1,155	75.5%
8	Barking & Dagenham	4,724	1,159	75.5%
9	Kingston	7,559	1,848	75.6%
10	Barnet	17,627	4,273	75.8%

Found your council? See what's happening at street level →

All 223 Councils Ranked for Rear Extensions

#	Council	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	Mid Devon	342	342	0	100.0%
2	Ards and North Down Borough Council	1,592	1,591	1	99.9%
3	Fareham	555	554	1	99.8%
4	Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council	617	615	2	99.7%
5	Derry City and Strabane District Council	1,327	1,323	4	99.7%
6	Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council	479	477	2	99.6%
7	Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council	624	621	3	99.5%
8	Fermanagh and Omagh District Council	539	536	3	99.4%
9	Hinckley & Bosworth	846	841	5	99.4%
10	South Lanarkshire	4,945	4,916	29	99.4%
11	Mid and East Antrim Borough Council	543	539	4	99.3%
12	Carlisle	624	619	5	99.2%
13	West Lancashire	881	874	7	99.2%
14	Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council	1,107	1,096	11	99.0%
15	Mansfield	657	650	7	98.9%
16	Belfast City Council	3,261	3,223	38	98.8%
17	Gosport	521	515	6	98.8%
18	Stockton-on-Tees	372	367	5	98.7%
19	Harlow	442	436	6	98.6%
20	Stirling	489	482	7	98.6%
21	Bromsgrove & Redditch	471	464	7	98.5%
22	Halton	587	578	9	98.5%
23	Torridge	326	321	5	98.5%
24	North East Lincolnshire	387	381	6	98.4%
25	Lincoln	963	947	16	98.3%
26	Neath Port Talbot	4,027	3,959	68	98.3%
27	South Norfolk	653	642	11	98.3%
28	Blaby	907	891	16	98.2%
29	East Dunbartonshire	333	327	6	98.2%
30	South Ribble	1,024	1,006	18	98.2%
31	Broadland	1,041	1,021	20	98.1%
32	Cheltenham	2,478	2,428	50	98.0%
33	Arun	328	321	7	97.9%
34	County Durham	1,515	1,481	34	97.8%
35	Winchester	898	878	20	97.8%
36	Tamworth	1,129	1,103	26	97.7%
37	West Suffolk	2,659	2,594	65	97.6%
38	Rushmoor	941	917	24	97.4%
39	Knowsley	1,425	1,387	38	97.3%
40	North Norfolk	252	245	7	97.2%
41	Plymouth	1,256	1,221	35	97.2%
42	Rugby	2,463	2,394	69	97.2%
43	South Tyneside	681	662	19	97.2%
44	Cornwall	1,113	1,081	32	97.1%
45	Hartlepool	467	453	14	97.0%
46	Doncaster	1,749	1,694	55	96.9%
47	Gateshead	1,411	1,366	45	96.8%
48	Newry, Mourne and Down District Council	802	774	28	96.5%
49	Wakefield	1,848	1,783	65	96.5%
50	Newcastle upon Tyne	304	293	11	96.4%
51	Aberdeen	709	683	26	96.3%
52	Cannock Chase	1,008	971	37	96.3%
53	Melton	347	334	13	96.3%
54	Basingstoke & Deane	1,874	1,802	72	96.2%
55	Canterbury	2,000	1,925	75	96.2%
56	North Tyneside	1,273	1,224	49	96.2%
57	Derby	1,602	1,539	63	96.1%
58	North East Derbyshire	1,116	1,073	43	96.1%
59	Lake District NPA	514	493	21	95.9%
60	Norwich	1,431	1,373	58	95.9%
61	West Oxfordshire	1,001	960	41	95.9%
62	City of Edinburgh	3,006	2,880	126	95.8%
63	South Kesteven	1,026	983	43	95.8%
64	Forest of Dean	563	539	24	95.7%
65	Cotswold	2,389	2,284	105	95.6%
66	Darlington	537	513	24	95.5%
67	Mid Sussex	1,282	1,224	58	95.5%
68	Sunderland	1,047	1,000	47	95.5%
69	Barnsley	3,843	3,666	177	95.4%
70	Gedling	1,020	973	47	95.4%
71	Horsham	2,150	2,048	102	95.3%
72	Lewes & Eastbourne	318	303	15	95.3%
73	Tewkesbury	1,331	1,269	62	95.3%
74	Redcar and Cleveland	1,256	1,196	60	95.2%
75	Telford & Wrekin	2,582	2,457	125	95.2%
76	Bath & NE Somerset	5,021	4,777	244	95.1%
77	Broxtowe	1,507	1,433	74	95.1%
78	Torfaen	572	544	28	95.1%
79	Chichester	640	608	32	95.0%
80	Cambridge	1,430	1,357	73	94.9%
81	North Somerset	3,158	2,991	167	94.7%
82	Flintshire	980	927	53	94.6%
83	Nottingham	1,089	1,030	59	94.6%
84	Dudley	4,051	3,822	229	94.3%
85	Fenland	583	550	33	94.3%
86	North Northamptonshire	630	594	36	94.3%
87	East Cambridgeshire	1,299	1,224	75	94.2%
88	Test Valley	703	662	41	94.2%
89	Dorset	708	666	42	94.1%
90	East Hampshire	1,297	1,221	76	94.1%
91	York	2,520	2,368	152	94.0%
92	North Hertfordshire	310	291	19	93.9%
93	Stevenage	1,206	1,132	74	93.9%
94	Gwynedd	646	606	40	93.8%
95	Brighton & Hove	506	474	32	93.7%
96	Swindon	1,205	1,129	76	93.7%
97	Warwick	3,512	3,289	223	93.7%
98	Great Yarmouth	404	378	26	93.6%
99	Pembrokeshire Coast National Park	280	262	18	93.6%
100	South Downs	939	876	63	93.3%
101	Camden	3,389	3,160	229	93.2%
102	Sandwell	2,993	2,789	204	93.2%
103	Adur & Worthing	6,373	5,933	440	93.1%
104	Chorley	1,003	934	69	93.1%
105	Tonbridge & Malling	1,581	1,472	109	93.1%
106	Ceredigion	339	315	24	92.9%
107	Rutland	991	921	70	92.9%
108	Wandsworth	6,238	5,798	440	92.9%
109	Dover	890	826	64	92.8%
110	Pembrokeshire	400	371	29	92.8%
111	Rotherham	778	721	57	92.7%
112	Hammersmith & Fulham	5,258	4,869	389	92.6%
113	New Forest	2,449	2,263	186	92.4%
114	Three Rivers	622	575	47	92.4%
115	Cheshire East	2,357	2,175	182	92.3%
116	Lancaster	439	405	34	92.3%
117	Southwark	3,909	3,603	306	92.2%
118	Derbyshire Dales	277	255	22	92.1%
119	Isle of Wight	1,419	1,307	112	92.1%
120	Babergh Mid Suffolk	913	838	75	91.8%
121	Sheffield	1,725	1,583	142	91.8%
122	Thanet	5,791	5,315	476	91.8%
123	Solihull	1,620	1,486	134	91.7%
124	Harborough	557	510	47	91.6%
125	Manchester	2,381	2,181	200	91.6%
126	South Staffordshire	261	239	22	91.6%
127	Exeter	1,062	972	90	91.5%
128	New Forest National Park	962	880	82	91.5%
129	Rushcliffe	2,268	2,073	195	91.4%
130	Wirral	2,191	2,001	190	91.3%
131	Bassetlaw	729	664	65	91.1%
132	Bury	1,394	1,270	124	91.1%
133	Oldham	2,433	2,215	218	91.0%
134	Selby	834	759	75	91.0%
135	Bristol	5,628	5,111	517	90.8%
136	South Gloucestershire	3,835	3,483	352	90.8%
137	Kingston upon Hull	1,130	1,025	105	90.7%
138	Brecon Beacons National Park	403	365	38	90.6%
139	Wigan	733	664	69	90.6%
140	Trafford	5,917	5,352	565	90.5%
141	Hastings	699	632	67	90.4%
142	Luton	2,220	2,004	216	90.3%
143	Middlesbrough	545	492	53	90.3%
144	Lichfield	641	578	63	90.2%
145	Reigate & Banstead	2,604	2,343	261	90.0%
146	Watford	1,626	1,464	162	90.0%
147	Warrington	3,214	2,888	326	89.9%
148	Kensington & Chelsea	3,151	2,825	326	89.7%
149	Stoke-on-Trent	368	330	38	89.7%
150	Newport	734	656	78	89.4%
151	Sefton	460	411	49	89.3%
152	Southend-on-Sea	374	334	40	89.3%
153	Basildon	250	223	27	89.2%
154	Kirklees	5,890	5,256	634	89.2%
155	Portsmouth	2,254	2,010	244	89.2%
156	Surrey Heath	1,369	1,221	148	89.2%
157	Peterborough	5,830	5,196	634	89.1%
158	Leeds	10,161	9,042	1,119	89.0%
159	Calderdale	1,339	1,191	148	88.9%
160	Liverpool	987	877	110	88.9%
161	Oxford	1,303	1,159	144	88.9%
162	High Peak	1,199	1,063	136	88.7%
163	Stafford	717	634	83	88.4%
164	Dartford	2,076	1,834	242	88.3%
165	Haringey	4,394	3,871	523	88.1%
166	Bradford	6,154	5,406	748	87.8%
167	Eastleigh	5,628	4,934	694	87.7%
168	Sevenoaks	1,735	1,522	213	87.7%
169	Westminster	3,168	2,777	391	87.7%
170	Glasgow	1,282	1,123	159	87.6%
171	Epsom & Ewell	2,239	1,960	279	87.5%
172	Runnymede	3,556	3,113	443	87.5%
173	Gloucester	1,009	881	128	87.3%
174	Birmingham	13,250	11,549	1,701	87.2%
175	Pendle	550	479	71	87.1%
176	Staffordshire Moorlands	1,369	1,189	180	86.9%
177	Hart	2,170	1,883	287	86.8%
178	Newark & Sherwood	1,092	947	145	86.7%
179	Hertsmere	1,206	1,037	169	86.0%
180	Castle Point	1,084	930	154	85.8%
181	Spelthorne	571	489	82	85.6%
182	Tameside	1,146	981	165	85.6%
183	Hounslow	26,741	22,713	4,028	84.9%
184	Oadby & Wigston	759	641	118	84.5%
185	Windsor & Maidenhead	2,140	1,807	333	84.4%
186	Bolton	305	257	48	84.3%
187	Brentwood	3,847	3,236	611	84.1%
188	Coventry	592	498	94	84.1%
189	Ealing	23,987	20,150	3,837	84.0%
190	Hackney	1,252	1,052	200	84.0%
191	Slough	7,156	5,986	1,170	83.7%
192	Swansea	745	621	124	83.4%
193	Woking	2,250	1,873	377	83.2%
194	Bexley	8,118	6,721	1,397	82.8%
195	Torbay	347	287	60	82.7%
196	Richmond	6,985	5,761	1,224	82.5%
197	Bromley	10,938	8,998	1,940	82.3%
198	Lambeth	6,119	5,034	1,085	82.3%
199	Guildford	3,907	3,193	714	81.7%
200	Havering	8,418	6,879	1,539	81.7%
201	Merton	5,743	4,692	1,051	81.7%
202	Croydon	10,637	8,646	1,991	81.3%
203	Caerphilly	958	774	184	80.8%
204	Maldon	709	573	136	80.8%
205	Islington	11,639	9,393	2,246	80.7%
206	Tower Hamlets	1,868	1,505	363	80.6%
207	Sutton	7,190	5,751	1,439	80.0%
208	Enfield	9,799	7,746	2,053	79.0%
209	East Hertfordshire	5,341	4,202	1,139	78.7%
210	Newham	4,486	3,523	963	78.5%
211	Thurrock	3,564	2,788	776	78.2%
212	Hillingdon	10,118	7,872	2,246	77.8%
213	Redbridge	12,190	9,400	2,790	77.1%
214	Barnet	17,627	13,354	4,273	75.8%
215	Kingston	7,559	5,711	1,848	75.6%
216	Barking & Dagenham	4,724	3,565	1,159	75.5%
217	Lewisham	4,713	3,558	1,155	75.5%
218	Harrow	10,512	7,911	2,601	75.3%
219	Waltham Forest	8,905	6,705	2,200	75.3%
220	Gravesham	345	259	86	75.1%
221	Brent	12,232	8,883	3,349	72.6%
222	Cardiff	364	247	117	67.9%
223	Greenwich	5,514	3,663	1,851	66.4%

Found your council? See what's happening at street level →

What the data tells us

1

Where you live changes everything. The gap between the best council (Mid Devon, 100.0%) and the worst (Greenwich, 66.4%) is 33.6%. Same project, completely different odds.

2

78,059 rear extension applications have been refused since 2020. Each one cost the homeowner time and money. Most of those refusals were predictable from the local data.

3

National averages hide local variation. Your council rate is useful context. Your ward rate is better. But the comparable decisions near your specific property are the only real predictor of your outcome.

Rear Extension Approval Rates Across the UK

Check Your Postcode for Approval Chances

10 Best Councils for Rear Extensions

10 Hardest Councils for Rear Extensions

Your council's approval rate is just the starting point

All 223 Councils Ranked for Rear Extensions

What the data tells us

The UK average is meaningless. Your street isn't average.

More national planning data