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

Across 211 councils and 610,232 decisions, the average approval rate is 90.9%. But rates vary enormously by council and location.

Which council has the highest rear extension approval rate?

Ards and North Down Borough Council at 99.9% based on 1,592 decisions.

How many rear extension applications get refused?

Of 610,232 decisions nationally, 81,921 were refused. That is roughly 1 in 7 applications.

Rear Extension: What Are Your Chances? UK Approval Rates (September 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	Ards and North Down Borough Council	1,592	1	99.9%
2	Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council	617	2	99.7%
3	Derry City and Strabane District Council	1,327	4	99.7%
4	Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council	479	2	99.6%
5	Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council	624	3	99.5%
6	Fermanagh and Omagh District Council	539	3	99.4%
7	Hinckley & Bosworth	888	5	99.4%
8	Mid and East Antrim Borough Council	543	4	99.3%
9	Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council	1,107	11	99.0%
10	Belfast City Council	3,261	38	98.8%

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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	5,700	1,899	66.7%
2	Brent	12,230	3,350	72.6%
3	Waltham Forest	9,165	2,267	75.3%
4	Harrow	10,795	2,656	75.4%
5	Barnet	18,068	4,400	75.6%
6	Lewisham	4,811	1,171	75.7%
7	Gravesham	415	101	75.7%
8	Kingston	7,738	1,875	75.8%
9	Barking & Dagenham	5,253	1,253	76.1%
10	Redbridge	12,442	2,825	77.3%

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All 211 Councils Ranked for Rear Extensions

#	Council	Decisions	Approved	Refused	Rate
1	Ards and North Down Borough Council	1,592	1,591	1	99.9%
2	Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council	617	615	2	99.7%
3	Derry City and Strabane District Council	1,327	1,323	4	99.7%
4	Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council	479	477	2	99.6%
5	Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council	624	621	3	99.5%
6	Fermanagh and Omagh District Council	539	536	3	99.4%
7	Hinckley & Bosworth	888	883	5	99.4%
8	Mid and East Antrim Borough Council	543	539	4	99.3%
9	Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council	1,107	1,096	11	99.0%
10	Belfast City Council	3,261	3,223	38	98.8%
11	Stockton-on-Tees	417	412	5	98.8%
12	North East Lincolnshire	399	393	6	98.5%
13	East Dunbartonshire	373	367	6	98.4%
14	Blaby	963	947	16	98.3%
15	Lincoln	978	961	17	98.3%
16	South Ribble	1,065	1,047	18	98.3%
17	Halton	627	616	11	98.2%
18	Neath Port Talbot	4,366	4,287	79	98.2%
19	Broadland	1,129	1,107	22	98.1%
20	Bromsgrove & Redditch	538	528	10	98.1%
21	South Norfolk	988	969	19	98.1%
22	Cheltenham	2,527	2,476	51	98.0%
23	County Durham	1,591	1,555	36	97.7%
24	Tamworth	1,129	1,103	26	97.7%
25	Erewash	823	803	20	97.6%
26	North Norfolk	332	324	8	97.6%
27	Knowsley	1,455	1,417	38	97.4%
28	Rushmoor	977	952	25	97.4%
29	Winchester	1,007	980	27	97.3%
30	Plymouth	1,299	1,263	36	97.2%
31	Rugby	2,490	2,420	70	97.2%
32	Cornwall	1,215	1,180	35	97.1%
33	Hartlepool	467	453	14	97.0%
34	North West Leicestershire	299	290	9	97.0%
35	Doncaster	1,814	1,758	56	96.9%
36	Gateshead	1,436	1,391	45	96.9%
37	West Suffolk	5,539	5,356	183	96.7%
38	Wakefield	1,893	1,828	65	96.6%
39	Cambridge	2,099	2,025	74	96.5%
40	Newry, Mourne and Down District Council	802	774	28	96.5%
41	Canterbury	2,090	2,014	76	96.4%
42	Newcastle upon Tyne	324	312	12	96.3%
43	North East Derbyshire	1,151	1,108	43	96.3%
44	Basingstoke & Deane	1,925	1,852	73	96.2%
45	Cannock Chase	1,028	989	39	96.2%
46	Melton	356	342	14	96.1%
47	West Oxfordshire	1,061	1,020	41	96.1%
48	North Tyneside	1,388	1,332	56	96.0%
49	Norwich	1,457	1,399	58	96.0%
50	Derby	1,714	1,644	70	95.9%
51	Forest of Dean	582	558	24	95.9%
52	Rhondda Cynon Taf	609	583	26	95.7%
53	South Kesteven	1,057	1,012	45	95.7%
54	Cotswold	2,480	2,369	111	95.5%
55	Gedling	1,050	1,003	47	95.5%
56	Lewes & Eastbourne	332	317	15	95.5%
57	Westmorland and Furness	3,048	2,911	137	95.5%
58	Barnsley	3,843	3,666	177	95.4%
59	Darlington	570	544	26	95.4%
60	Lake District NPA	520	496	24	95.4%
61	Mid Sussex	1,347	1,285	62	95.4%
62	Sunderland	1,075	1,026	49	95.4%
63	Horsham	2,270	2,161	109	95.2%
64	Redcar and Cleveland	1,282	1,221	61	95.2%
65	Telford & Wrekin	2,582	2,457	125	95.2%
66	Bath & NE Somerset	5,021	4,777	244	95.1%
67	Broxtowe	1,542	1,466	76	95.1%
68	Tewkesbury	1,374	1,305	69	95.0%
69	Nottingham	1,154	1,095	59	94.9%
70	Chichester	694	658	36	94.8%
71	Test Valley	795	753	42	94.7%
72	Torfaen	586	555	31	94.7%
73	Flintshire	992	938	54	94.6%
74	North Somerset	3,303	3,126	177	94.6%
75	Wiltshire	16,085	15,206	879	94.5%
76	Dudley	4,051	3,822	229	94.3%
77	East Cambridgeshire	1,339	1,263	76	94.3%
78	East Hampshire	1,329	1,252	77	94.2%
79	North Hertfordshire	467	439	28	94.0%
80	Stevenage	1,230	1,156	74	94.0%
81	Swindon	1,274	1,196	78	93.9%
82	York	2,643	2,482	161	93.9%
83	Fenland	609	571	38	93.8%
84	Warwick	3,741	3,509	232	93.8%
85	Brighton & Hove	506	474	32	93.7%
86	Dorset	2,080	1,949	131	93.7%
87	Gwynedd	650	609	41	93.7%
88	Pembrokeshire Coast National Park	285	267	18	93.7%
89	Camden	3,713	3,474	239	93.6%
90	Sandwell	3,206	2,994	212	93.4%
91	Chorley	1,053	982	71	93.3%
92	Huntingdonshire	313	292	21	93.3%
93	New Forest	2,870	2,674	196	93.2%
94	North Yorkshire	516	481	35	93.2%
95	Great Yarmouth	434	404	30	93.1%
96	North Northamptonshire	722	672	50	93.1%
97	Tonbridge & Malling	1,650	1,536	114	93.1%
98	Cheshire East	2,772	2,579	193	93.0%
99	South Downs	1,027	955	72	93.0%
100	Pembrokeshire	408	379	29	92.9%
101	Dover	890	826	64	92.8%
102	Hammersmith & Fulham	5,359	4,967	392	92.7%
103	Rotherham	778	721	57	92.7%
104	Wandsworth	6,430	5,962	468	92.7%
105	Babergh Mid Suffolk	1,713	1,582	131	92.4%
106	Rutland	1,016	938	78	92.3%
107	Southwark	3,997	3,688	309	92.3%
108	Isle of Wight	1,454	1,341	113	92.2%
109	Three Rivers	715	659	56	92.2%
110	Derbyshire Dales	294	270	24	91.8%
111	Harborough	621	570	51	91.8%
112	Sheffield	1,911	1,753	158	91.7%
113	Exeter	1,103	1,010	93	91.6%
114	Lancaster	490	449	41	91.6%
115	New Forest National Park	977	895	82	91.6%
116	Oldham	2,590	2,372	218	91.6%
117	Rushcliffe	2,449	2,244	205	91.6%
118	South Staffordshire	316	289	27	91.5%
119	Bury	1,472	1,343	129	91.2%
120	Sefton	586	534	52	91.1%
121	Solihull	1,781	1,623	158	91.1%
122	Selby	840	764	76	91.0%
123	Kingston upon Hull	1,153	1,048	105	90.9%
124	Brecon Beacons National Park	415	377	38	90.8%
125	Bristol	5,757	5,220	537	90.7%
126	Basildon	305	276	29	90.5%
127	Bassetlaw	758	686	72	90.5%
128	Trafford	5,917	5,352	565	90.5%
129	Wigan	793	718	75	90.5%
130	Southend-on-Sea	469	424	45	90.4%
131	Hastings	720	650	70	90.3%
132	South Gloucestershire	4,029	3,640	389	90.3%
133	Lichfield	698	629	69	90.1%
134	Luton	2,355	2,122	233	90.1%
135	Middlesbrough	548	494	54	90.1%
136	Reigate & Banstead	2,761	2,489	272	90.1%
137	Wirral	2,299	2,072	227	90.1%
138	Warrington	3,302	2,972	330	90.0%
139	Watford	1,681	1,513	168	90.0%
140	Kensington & Chelsea	3,151	2,825	326	89.7%
141	Kirklees	5,890	5,256	634	89.2%
142	Portsmouth	2,254	2,010	244	89.2%
143	Peterborough	5,867	5,228	639	89.1%
144	Surrey Heath	1,435	1,277	158	89.0%
145	Calderdale	1,385	1,230	155	88.8%
146	Leeds	10,474	9,298	1,176	88.8%
147	High Peak	1,199	1,063	136	88.7%
148	Haringey	4,498	3,986	512	88.6%
149	Oxford	1,451	1,283	168	88.4%
150	Stafford	750	663	87	88.4%
151	Glasgow	1,344	1,185	159	88.2%
152	Eastleigh	5,814	5,120	694	88.1%
153	Dartford	2,146	1,887	259	87.9%
154	Stoke-on-Trent	363	319	44	87.9%
155	Bradford	6,388	5,605	783	87.7%
156	Sevenoaks	1,735	1,522	213	87.7%
157	Newark & Sherwood	1,169	1,024	145	87.6%
158	Westminster	3,254	2,849	405	87.6%
159	Epsom & Ewell	2,439	2,134	305	87.5%
160	Runnymede	3,569	3,124	445	87.5%
161	Pendle	589	515	74	87.4%
162	Gloucester	1,054	918	136	87.1%
163	Hart	2,268	1,976	292	87.1%
164	Staffordshire Moorlands	1,369	1,189	180	86.9%
165	Hertsmere	1,324	1,147	177	86.6%
166	Castle Point	1,126	970	156	86.1%
167	Spelthorne	661	568	93	85.9%
168	Tameside	1,205	1,035	170	85.9%
169	Maidstone	330	283	47	85.8%
170	Swale	260	223	37	85.8%
171	Ealing	23,612	20,193	3,419	85.5%
172	Bolton	380	324	56	85.3%
173	Hounslow	26,928	22,876	4,052	85.0%
174	Hackney	4,046	3,437	609	84.9%
175	Windsor & Maidenhead	2,322	1,959	363	84.4%
176	Elmbridge	24,783	20,727	4,056	83.6%
177	Oadby & Wigston	811	678	133	83.6%
178	Slough	7,255	6,068	1,187	83.6%
179	Brentwood	3,957	3,306	651	83.5%
180	Woking	2,331	1,943	388	83.4%
181	Coventry	732	610	122	83.3%
182	Torbay	359	299	60	83.3%
183	Bexley	8,317	6,909	1,408	83.1%
184	Richmond	7,121	5,897	1,224	82.8%
185	Bromley	10,936	8,998	1,938	82.3%
186	Lambeth	6,230	5,119	1,111	82.2%
187	Havering	8,687	7,129	1,558	82.1%
188	Guildford	4,049	3,316	733	81.9%
189	Merton	5,834	4,779	1,055	81.9%
190	Maldon	758	620	138	81.8%
191	Croydon	10,906	8,882	2,024	81.4%
192	Caerphilly	989	799	190	80.8%
193	Islington	11,700	9,450	2,250	80.8%
194	Swansea	835	675	160	80.8%
195	Tower Hamlets	1,904	1,536	368	80.7%
196	Sutton	7,339	5,878	1,461	80.1%
197	Thurrock	3,721	2,943	778	79.1%
198	East Hertfordshire	5,454	4,299	1,155	78.8%
199	Enfield	10,228	8,061	2,167	78.8%
200	Newham	4,626	3,640	986	78.7%
201	Hillingdon	10,373	8,150	2,223	78.6%
202	Redbridge	12,442	9,617	2,825	77.3%
203	Barking & Dagenham	5,253	4,000	1,253	76.1%
204	Kingston	7,738	5,863	1,875	75.8%
205	Gravesham	415	314	101	75.7%
206	Lewisham	4,811	3,640	1,171	75.7%
207	Barnet	18,068	13,668	4,400	75.6%
208	Harrow	10,795	8,139	2,656	75.4%
209	Waltham Forest	9,165	6,898	2,267	75.3%
210	Brent	12,230	8,880	3,350	72.6%
211	Greenwich	5,700	3,801	1,899	66.7%

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What the data tells us

1

Where you live changes everything. The gap between the best council (Ards and North Down Borough Council, 99.9%) and the worst (Greenwich, 66.7%) is 33.2%. Same project, completely different odds.

2

81,921 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 211 Councils Ranked for Rear Extensions

What the data tells us

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

More national planning data