Planning applications in Durham

Planning in Durham

Planning applications in Durham are refused very rarely compared with the rest of the areas we cover: about 1 in 19, against about 1 in 7. Among the neighbours with a rate, Durham is more lenient than Darlington (about 1 in 15) and Gateshead (about 1 in 17), though North Yorkshire is more lenient still at about 1 in 83. If you are looking at planning permission in Durham for a home extension, the starting odds are in your favour.

Rear extensions, the biggest group with more than 6,000 applications, are refused about 1 in 45 times. Front extensions and porches are about 1 in 54, side extensions about 1 in 39 and windows and doors about 1 in 38. Garden rooms and outbuildings, with more than 4,000 applications, are refused about 1 in 29. Loft conversions and dormers come in at about 1 in 24, a long way from the 1 in 5 seen across the areas we cover.

The jobs to take more care over are the ones that stand out from that low baseline. Solar panels are refused about 1 in 13 times, much more often than other work in Durham though still gentler than the 1 in 9 across the areas we cover. Fences, walls and gates run at about 1 in 18 and driveways and dropped kerbs at about 1 in 20, which is roughly in line with the council’s overall rate.

The most notable recent change is a move towards tighter decisions. Durham dealt with more than 40,000 applications since 2016, and the busiest year was 2021 with 4,282. In 2025 there were 3,231, slightly under the average of about 3,400 a year across the three years before. The refusal rate in 2025 was about 1 in 8, compared with about 1 in 15 over those three years, so refusals are happening more often than they were, even if the county is still well below the national picture.

Of the 675 recent refusals we read, about four in ten pointed to the look of the street or area, and about three in ten to the size, bulk or design of the work. Around one in six each mentioned neighbours’ light, privacy or outlook, trees, parking and access, or building in the countryside, and a smaller share raised heritage or said information was missing.

Durham has 92 conservation areas and 3,094 listed buildings. Homes in those areas deserve a closer look at materials and detail, so see what was approved on nearby streets before you draw anything up.

Figures in this section as of 9 October 2026.