Lewisham planning: a new 2025 Local Plan, 3m extension guidance and 90.4% of householder cases approved
Lewisham planning decisions covered 637 householder applications in 2025-26, and the council granted 576 of them. That is an approval rate of 90.4%, 11th of 32 boroughs and above the 85.6% London figure. The council adopted the Lewisham Local Plan 2020-2040 on 16 July 2025, replacing four older plans, so earlier advice that cites the 2011 Core Strategy or the 2014 development management plan is out of date.
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How does Lewisham Council decide householder applications?
Lewisham approves more householder cases than the London average, but it refuses larger rear extensions at prior approval more often than almost any borough, and householder appeals against it succeed less often than the London average.
Measure
Lewisham
London
England
Householder applications decided, 2025-26
637
24,758
151,867
Householder approval rate
90.4%
85.6%
90.3%
Decided within 8 weeks (standard cases)
95.0%
—
—
Large extension prior approvals decided
103
—
—
Householder appeals allowed, five years
33.3%
39.9%
34.4%
Approval and speed: MHCLG district planning application statistics (PS1/PS2), financial year 2025-26. The eight-week figure is 441 of 464 decisions excluding planning performance agreements and extensions of time. Appeals: Planning Inspectorate casework, five years to 30 June 2026, 43 of 129 determined householder appeals allowed. Derived in scripts/aggregate/.
Why do Lewisham's approval and prior approval numbers point in different directions?
Lewisham refused 61 of its 637 householder applications, 11th best of the 32 boroughs with a published figure, 90.4% against England's 90.3%. On speed, 441 of 464 standard decisions came within eight weeks, 95.0%, 15th of 32 and tied with one other borough, Lambeth. A further 173 decisions were made under a planning performance agreement or an agreed extension of time, 163 of them in time, and the eight-week measure leaves those out.
Large home extensions that use the prior approval route tell the opposite story. Lewisham decided 103 and refused 46, 44.7%. Of the 24 boroughs with a published rate that is the third highest, behind Greenwich and Kingston. The statistics say nothing about why each was refused, so read the figure as a warning that a 6m rear extension is not a formality here, not as a verdict on any one scheme.
Appeals are the soft spot. The Planning Inspectorate allowed 43 of 129 householder appeals against Lewisham over five years, 33.3%, 26th of 32 and 1.1 points below the national rate. A refusal here is less likely to be reversed than in most London boroughs.
What changed when Lewisham adopted its 2025 Local Plan?
The council's adoption page says it formally adopted the Lewisham Local Plan 2020-2040 on 16 July 2025. The council's local plan page says the 2011 Core Strategy, the 2013 Site Allocations Local Plan, the 2014 Development Management Local Plan and the 2014 Lewisham Town Centre Local Plan have been replaced by it. Any design advice that cites those documents, or a policy number from them, should be re-checked. The adopted Local Plan says the council's Alterations and Extensions SPD (2019) should be referred to as appropriate (para 5.68), so the 2019 SPD remains the extension guidance.
16 Jul 2025 Adopted
2020-2040 Plan period
4 older plans Replaces
What does Lewisham's Alterations and Extensions SPD say about size?
The SPD sets figures for depth, boundary height and dormers. It is guidance for applications, and permitted development has separate limits that can be deeper.
Subject
What the SPD says
Why it matters
Rear extension depth (para 4.2.3)
Generally not more than 3m deep for terraced or semi-detached properties; deeper may be acceptable for detached properties or large plots
A 6m extension through prior approval is deeper than the guide's 3m, so the two can disagree
Garden (same paragraph)
Under no circumstances should an extension take up more than half the depth of the original rear garden or yard
In the SPD's infill guidance, outbuildings reduce the remaining garden depth (para 4.5.2)
Boundary height
Up to 3m long, no more than 3m high on the boundary; longer and higher than 2.5m on the boundary is unlikely to be supported
The SPD applies the same 3m and 2.5m boundary test to side-return infill extensions (para 4.5.4)
Daylight test (3.3.15)
A 45 degree line up and sideways from the centre of the affected window; a proposal higher and wider than both lines may cause unacceptable loss
Neighbours' windows drive the design
Rear dormers (5.7.2)
Set in at least 0.3m from the party wall on each side, at least 0.3m below the ridge and at least 0.3m above the eaves
Permitted development under Class B asks for the dormer to be at least 0.2m from the eaves, so far as practicable (B.2(b)); the SPD asks for 0.3m on applications
Basements (4.8.9)
Not wider than the original property and not extending more than 3m from the original rear wall or a quarter of the original garden length, whichever is less
A basement is capped in both width and depth
Source: London Borough of Lewisham, Alterations and Extensions Supplementary Planning Document (cover: Adopted April 2019; council page: adopted 24 April 2019), read from the council PDF on 13 October 2026. The adopted 2025 Local Plan refers applicants to it (para 5.68 and Policy HO2). The permitted development depth of 3m, or 4m for a detached house, is Class A of Part 1 of the 2015 General Permitted Development Order; our guide to rear extension limits sets out the exceptions.
How many conservation areas does Lewisham have?
The council's conservation areas page lists areas by name and states no total. We count 29 names, including Blackheath, Brockley, Telegraph Hill, Forest Hill, Ladywell, Lee Manor, Sydenham Thorpes, Sydenham Park, Hatcham and Deptford High Street and St Paul's. The national planning data register records 30 for Lewisham. We have not reconciled the two, so treat the council's list as the one that decides and check your address with the conservation team.
The council's area pages give some dates. Blackheath was designated in 1968, jointly with Greenwich, and the council calls it London's first conservation area; Brockley followed in 1973 and Telegraph Hill in 1990. Our Greenwich borough page covers the other side of the Blackheath boundary. The status matters for roof and extension work. A dormer is an enlargement of the roof, and Class B of Part 1 of the General Permitted Development Order does not apply on article 2(3) land, which includes conservation areas. Under the national rules the 6m and 8m prior approval route for larger rear extensions is not available on conservation area land either.
Which Article 4 directions does Lewisham list for houses?
The council's Article 4 page links 31 direction documents, mostly for conservation areas and streets, and separate pages cover the small-HMO and Class E directions. The page says the directions only apply to houses in use as a single dwelling house, although it also lists directions for two pubs and Eros House.
Direction on the council's page
Dates
What it affects
Conservation areas and streets, including Brockley, Telegraph Hill, Hatcham, Forest Hill, Ladywell, Lee Manor, Sydenham Thorpes, Culverley Green and parts of Blackheath
Mostly undated on the page
External changes to elevations visible from public viewpoints need planning permission
Deptford High Street and St Paul's
Made 8 January 2021, confirmed 23 November 2021; in force from 14 January 2022 under its own terms
Doors and windows visible from the public realm, roof alterations, rear chimneys and antennas, and exterior painting, for the houses it names in Watson Street and Tanners Hill
Lewisham Park
Made 7 August 2019; says it takes effect on 7 August 2020 if confirmed
Nos 30-36 and 39-52 Lewisham Park only
Class E to homes (Class MA): mapped centres, industrial and employment sites, some parades
Confirmed 29 January 2025; in force 1 November 2025
Change of use from Class E to a dwelling
Small HMOs (C3 to C4): Southern Wards, then the rest of the borough
In force 7 March 2020, then 19 January 2024
Change from a house to a small HMO
Source: London Borough of Lewisham, Article 4 directions page (published 24 February 2026) and Article 4 direction on small HMOs page, read 13 October 2026. The page says commercial properties and flats do not have permitted development rights; the householder rights in Part 1 of the GPDO apply only to houses. The register records 57 direction records and 89 area records for Lewisham, which we have not reconciled with the council's list. A separate Class E direction, confirmed by the council's Mayor and Cabinet on 29 January 2025, has required planning permission since 1 November 2025 to change commercial, business and service premises to homes in its mapped centres and employment areas. Read the direction document for your street.
Do HMO rules in Lewisham need planning permission or a licence?
Both can apply, separately. The small-HMO direction is in force in two parts: Southern Wards from 7 March 2020, and the remainder of the borough from 19 January 2024. The council's page says the direction does not mean an application would be refused automatically. Licensing is a different regime: the council's additional licensing scheme for HMOs came into force on 5 April 2022, and its selective licensing scheme took effect on 1 July 2024; the council says it is absent from some areas, such as Telegraph Hill ward and parts of Blackheath.
What does Lewisham say about Blackheath, Brockley and Telegraph Hill?
The council's area pages say most buildings in Blackheath village date from around 1790 to 1880, with the railway arriving in 1849 and many listed and locally listed buildings. Brockley is described as a leafy, speculatively developed Victorian suburb, with building from the 1830s. Telegraph Hill has houses from 1871 built on Haberdashers' land, and a semaphore station dating from 1795. The Brockley and Telegraph Hill pages say the council has made an Article 4 direction; the Blackheath page says directions cover specified streets and areas within it.
Locally listed buildings are covered by the council's separate page, which says locally listed buildings outside conservation areas have no specific statutory protection.
What does Lewisham ask for with a householder application?
The council's current validation checklists date from 2022, and it consulted on updated drafts in September 2026.
The council's current Local Requirements List; a consultation on draft updates ran to 29 September 2026, so check which version applies
Plans and elevations drawn to the SPD's tests: depth, boundary height and the 45 and 25 degree lines
A heritage statement where the proposal is within or in the setting of a conservation area, or alters a listed building or a non-designated heritage asset such as a locally listed building
The council's process page says it aims to approve applications within eight weeks for minor applications and 13 weeks for major ones; it names no separate householder target
Pre-application advice if you want an officer's view first; the council runs a Pre-Application Advice Service and a Duty Planner service
What housing stock do Lewisham lofts and extensions start from?
Lewisham has an older stock than most of London: 35.5% of homes with a recorded build period predate 1919, 12th highest of the 33 boroughs.
Build period
Share of homes
Why it matters for a project
Before 1919
35.5%
Victorian terraces and villas; roof and rear work is judged against the SPD and any conservation area
1919 to 1939
18.2%
19th of 33 boroughs; interwar houses, where the SPD's side-extension guidance (section 4.4) generally limits a side extension to half the original frontage width
1945 to 1972
16.3%
19th of 33 boroughs, tied with one other; post-war estates and flats, where householder permitted development rights do not apply to flats
Shares of the 129,760 Lewisham dwellings with a recorded build period. Source: Valuation Office Agency, council tax stock of properties (CTSOP4.1), as at 31 March 2025. The published bands have a genuine gap over 1940 to 1944, so the rows do not sum to 100%. Rank across the 33 London boroughs is computed from the same data.
What should you check first for Lewisham planning?
Check the address against the council's conservation area list, then the Article 4 page, then the Alterations and Extensions SPD. Those three go a long way to deciding whether a dormer, rear extension or side return can use permitted development or needs an application that will be read against the 3m, boundary-height and 45 degree tests. The 2025 Local Plan is the policy base, but the extension detail is still in the SPD.
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How do we prepare a Lewisham planning application?
Lewisham refuses more than two in five of its large-extension prior approvals, so we test the depth and boundary height before anything is submitted.
1
Constraint check
We check the address against the council's conservation area list and Article 4 page, and note which rights are removed.
2
Measured survey
We measure the house as built. Limits are set from the original rear wall and roof, so earlier additions change the route.
3
Route test
We compare permitted development, a lawful development certificate, prior approval and a full householder application, and say which is safest.
4
Drawings to the SPD
Plans, elevations and sections are drawn against the Alterations and Extensions SPD, with a heritage justification when the council asks for one.
5
Submission and liaison
We submit to Lewisham, answer the case officer and revise the drawings free of charge until the council decides.
Lewisham's live approval record
Lewisham's approval rate against the national one, refreshed as each quarter of MHCLG data is released.
Source: MHCLG planning application statistics (householder decisions, rolling year). Compare every borough on our London approval-rate league table.
90.4%householder applications approved in Lewisham
90.3%national average — Lewisham is 0.10000000000000853 points above the national average
Frequently asked questions
What percentage of Lewisham planning applications are approved?
Lewisham granted 90.4% of the householder applications it decided in the 2025-26 financial year, 576 of 637, with 61 refused. That is above the London rate of 85.6% across 24,758 decisions and a tenth of a point above the England rate of 90.3%. It ranks 11th of the 32 London boroughs with a published rate.
How long does Lewisham take to decide a householder application?
The council says it aims to approve planning applications within eight weeks for minor applications, and names no separate householder target. In 2025-26, 95.0% of its standard decisions met eight weeks, 441 of 464. A further 173 decisions were made under planning performance agreements or agreed extensions of time, and those are left out of that figure.
How deep a rear extension does Lewisham allow?
The Alterations and Extensions SPD says rear extensions should generally be not more than 3m deep for terraced or semi-detached properties, and that deeper ones may suit detached homes or large plots. No extension should take more than half the depth of the original rear garden. That is guidance for applications, separate from permitted development limits.
Are Lewisham's prior approvals for large extensions often refused?
Often. In 2025-26 Lewisham decided 103 large home extension prior approvals and refused 46, 44.7%. Of the 24 boroughs with a published rate that is the third highest. The figures do not give reasons, but the neighbour's amenity is the test, so an objection from an adjoining owner or occupier can bring the council's assessment in.
How many conservation areas are there in Lewisham?
The council's page lists areas by name without stating a total. We count 29 names, including Blackheath, Brockley, Telegraph Hill, Forest Hill and Ladywell. The national planning data register records 30. The two have not been reconciled, so confirm the status of your own address with the council before you rely on permitted development.
Do I need planning permission for a dormer in a Lewisham conservation area?
Usually yes. Class B of Part 1 of the General Permitted Development Order, which allows many dormers, does not apply on article 2(3) land, and conservation areas are article 2(3) land. The SPD adds design tests for dormers that do need consent, including a 0.3m set-in from each party wall. Outside conservation areas Class B can still apply, within its limits.
What does an Article 4 direction mean for a Lewisham house?
The council's page says that under an Article 4 direction, external changes to elevations visible from public viewpoints require planning permission. The page says directions only apply to houses in use as a single dwelling house. It links 31 direction documents, and the exact rights removed are in each direction document, so read the one for your street before you start work.
What is the current Lewisham Local Plan?
It is the Lewisham Local Plan 2020-2040, formally adopted on 16 July 2025. The council says it replaced the 2011 Core Strategy, the 2013 Site Allocations Local Plan, the 2014 Development Management Local Plan and the 2014 Lewisham Town Centre Local Plan. The adopted plan says the 2019 Alterations and Extensions SPD should be referred to as appropriate.
Do I need planning permission to turn a Lewisham house into an HMO?
Under the council's small-HMO Article 4 direction, in force for Southern Wards from 7 March 2020 and for the rest of the borough from 19 January 2024, a change from a house to a small HMO needs permission. The council says that does not mean an application would be refused automatically. Licensing is separate, so confirm both before you convert.
What are my chances on appeal in Lewisham?
Worse than the London average. The Planning Inspectorate allowed 33.3% of householder appeals against Lewisham over the five years to 30 June 2026, 43 of 129, against 39.9% across London and 34.4% in England. An appeal is judged against the same policies, so a revised application that answers the refusal reasons is the alternative.
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