Annexe planning trends
Annexe applications are a third below their 2021 peak, but the annexe planning index stands at 140: 1.4 times the 2016 share.
Annexe applications since 2016
Annexe applications in every 10,000 planning applications, over the 12 months to each month
How this is measuredThe 2021 peak and the decline since
Councils received 8,500 annexe applications in 2021. The count has fallen every year since, to 6,289 in 2025. Annexes' share of applications kept rising until the year to November 2023, as total applications fell faster, and the annexe planning index now stands at 140.
Strongest in the South West
From 2023 to 2025 the South West received 239 annexe applications in every 10,000, against 145 across the UK. The East of England followed on 228. London was lowest, on 46. Cornwall has received 2,870 since 2016, more than any other council.
Q3 2026 against a year earlier
Councils received 1,348 annexe applications in Q3 2026: 131 in every 10,000 applications, against 144 in Q3 2025, a share of all applications 9% lower than a year earlier.
Annexe applications each quarter
1,348 in Q3 2026, against 1,573 a year earlier.
Out of every 10,000 applications
As a share of every application: 131 in every 10,000 in Q3 2026, against 144 a year earlier.
Where annexe applications concentrate
By region
Annexe applications in every 10,000 planning applications, 2023 to 2025
Councils with the most
Applications since 2016
-
Cornwall
South West · 372 in every 10,000 2,870 -
Wiltshire
South West · 259 in every 10,000 1,470 -
Somerset
South West · 251 in every 10,000 1,437 -
North Yorkshire
Yorkshire and Humber · 188 in every 10,000 1,269 -
Dorset
South West · 218 in every 10,000 1,055 -
Babergh and Mid Suffolk (shared register)
East of England · 374 in every 10,000 1,041 -
East Suffolk
East of England · 310 in every 10,000 865 -
South Norfolk and Broadland (shared register)
East of England · 298 in every 10,000 836 - Maidstone and Swale (shared register)
South East · 276 in every 10,000 817 -
Wealden
South East · 330 in every 10,000 806
Latest annexe applications
- Blackmoor Farm, Ashburton, Newton Abbot, Devon Internal and external alterations to farmhouse, outbuildings and annex
- 2 Woodland Drive, Hawkinge, Folkestone, Kent Change of use of an existing detached annex to a holiday let.
- The Mount, Upper Seagry, Chippenham The use of an existing residential outbuilding and a new residential outbuilding approved by 20/07250/FUL as a residential annex, along with the regularisation of works undertaken to the existing residential outbuilding
- Mayfield Copp Lane Elswick Preston External alterations to detached garage to facilitate conversion to a residential annex
- 29 Manor Park, Newcastle Upon Tyne Conversion of detached double garage to residential annex, alterations to elevations and erection of a single storey extension to rear.
- Sycamore Barn Lea Bailey Ross-On-Wye Herefordshire Change of use of the consented annex accommodation to annex/or holidaylet use.
How often are they refused?
Of 54,276 received 2016 to 2024 and decided, 14.8% were refused, well above the 11.3% for all applications.
Refusal rate by year
Decisions, applications received 2016 to 2024
- Approved or refused54,276
- Refused14.8%
- Withdrawn before a decision5,212
- All applications11.3% refused
Questions
How many annexe planning applications are there in the UK?
Councils have received 73,531 since January 2016, 5,740 of them in the 12 months to September 2026. Their share peaked in the 12 months to November 2023.
Which councils get the most annexe applications?
Cornwall, Wiltshire and Somerset have received the most since 2016.
Are annexe applications rising or falling?
Falling on the count: 5,740 in the 12 months to September 2026, against 8,500 in 2021, the year Barbour ABI also gives as the peak for home improvement applications. The annexe planning index stands at 140 because total applications fell further.
How often are annexe applications refused?
Of 54,276 received 2016 to 2024 and decided, 14.8% were refused, well above the 11.3% for all applications.
About Plota
Plota is the UK's most visited planning search, according to Similarweb. It shows every new planning application from every UK council, read daily from 390 planning registers, with past applications back to 2016 from more than 420 registers, including those of councils since merged. It also covers planning committee decisions, HMO licences and premises licences.
How this is measured
What needs an application
Self-contained living space falls outside permitted development for outbuildings, so a self-contained annexe in a garden generally needs a planning application.
Methodology
- What is counted: planning applications to UK councils whose description names annexes or a close variant of the words, by the date each council received them. These are planning applications, not completed schemes; the largest energy and infrastructure projects are consented nationally rather than by councils, so they sit outside these counts.
- How matches are checked: we read the 200 most recent annexe applications and 20 from every year since 2016 to confirm each one belongs.
- Topic counts leave out, by design, works to trees and applications that only discharge conditions, amend an earlier permission or approve reserved matters, which follow a scheme already counted. Everything else is counted.
- A share is the number out of every 10,000 applications over the previous 12 months. Each topic is a number in every 10,000 planning applications, so trends compare when overall planning activity changes; the share still moves when either the topic's count or the total does. The annex planning index sets the 2016 share at 100, so 200 means twice as common as in 2016.
- Source: the planning registers of every UK council, January 2016 to September 2026, read on 9 November 2026.
- Planning is seasonal, so each quarter is compared with the same quarter a year earlier.
- Year on year: each topic's and theme's share of all applications in Q3 2026, against Q3 2025, at every council we hold. A share is the number in every 10,000 applications. Shares compare across councils and years; raw counts do not.
- Left out of the topic shares: Birmingham's applications from June to September 2026: a validation backlog at the council since June 2026: of 685 reference numbers it issued in September, its register lists 288. The same months a year earlier are left out too, so every comparison covers the same councils.
- Refusals: applications received 2016 to 2024 and decided, at councils whose published decisions pass our checks against their decision notices. Approvals and refusals count; withdrawals do not. "All applications" means every decision of that kind at the same councils over the same years. Applications received from 2025 are added once most are decided.
- Download the data (CSV): every topic and theme, each quarter since 2016.
Sources
- Permitted development for outbuildings excludes use as separate self-contained living accommodation planningportal.co.uk
- Barbour ABI's Home Improvement Index 2024 puts the peak in home improvement planning applications in 2021 barbour-abi.com