Croydon withdrew its Suburban Design Guide in 2022, so the depth figures many sites still quote no longer apply. We draw to the rules the council uses today and tell you which route your house needs.
Photo: A P Monblat, BY-SA 3.0
No. Croydon's own planning policy pages state that the council agreed on 25 July 2022 to revoke the Suburban Design Guide, known as SPD2, which it had adopted in April 2019. From 26 July 2022 it stopped being used as material guidance when deciding applications. The Local Plan policies it supported stayed in force, so the underlying tests have not gone away; the detailed illustrated rules in the guide have.
That matters because plenty of pages on the web still quote its extension chapter as if it were current. A homeowner who sizes a kitchen extension from a figure in the revoked guide is working from a document the case officer will not rely on. Without a published depth figure, the officer decides from the Local Plan, the street, and the neighbours' windows. Our survey records those three things on site, so the drawings show the officer what they need to judge.
The other fixed point is permitted development. If your design fits the Class A limits, it may need no application at all, and a lawful development certificate proves it. Where it does not fit, the application is judged on its merits, and the quality of the drawings and the neighbour evidence matters more than it would under a published rule.
Croydon returns applications that miss its list, so each item below is checked before we submit.
| Requirement | What Croydon says | In practice |
|---|---|---|
| Fire safety | A fire statement, or an exception statement, is needed at validation | We complete the exception form where it applies |
| Flood risk | Every application needs a flood risk assessment; householders may need a brief statement and a map search | Short statement and map search included |
| CIL | A CIL additional information form goes with the application | Form completed with the floor area |
| Pre-application | Offered, and strongly encouraged before submission | We advise when it is worth it |
Croydon Council, Local Validation List, May 2026.
The fee includes our measured visit. The bracketed figure applies if you already have measured drawings.
Croydon has 21 conservation areas, and its conservation page names three with Article 4 directions: Chatsworth Road, The Waldrons and Kenley Aerodrome. In Chatsworth Road the direction, in force since 21 January 2016, removes the right to extend, improve or alter a dwelling house and to alter its roof, so even a small rear extension needs an application.
For example, a house on Chatsworth Road cannot use the 3 metre permitted development limit, while a similar house in a street outside the three areas might. Before we draw a line, we check the address against those three areas and the council's conservation area map.
On timing, Croydon decided 527 householder applications in the year to June 2026 once prior approvals are set aside, and 502 of those inside 8 weeks. That is a measured outcome for the borough, not a promise for your application.
Every figure is linked to the page or document we read.
Croydon revoked its Suburban Design Guide (SPD2), adopted in April 2019, on 25 July 2022, and it stopped being used as guidance from 26 July 2022.
Source: Croydon Council, Supplementary planning documents and guidanceCroydon's Local Validation List of May 2026 requires a fire statement or an exception statement with every application.
Source: Croydon Council, Local Validation List, May 2026The same list says all applications need a flood risk assessment (Policy SP6 of the Croydon Local Plan 2018), and that a householder extension may need only a brief statement and an online flood map search.
Source: Croydon Council, Local Validation List, May 2026Croydon has 21 conservation areas, with Article 4 directions in Chatsworth Road, The Waldrons and Kenley Aerodrome.
Source: Croydon Council, Conservation areasThe Chatsworth Road Article 4 direction came into force on 21 January 2016 and removes the right to extend or alter a dwelling house and to alter its roof.
Source: Croydon Council, Chatsworth Road conservation area Article 4 directionCroydon decided 527 householder applications between July 2025 and June 2026, prior approvals excluded, and 502 of them were decided within 8 weeks.
Source: MHCLG, Planning application statistics PS2, July 2025 to June 2026Permitted development allows a single-storey rear extension up to 4 metres on a detached house or 3 metres on any other house.
Source: legislation.gov.uk, GPDO 2015, Schedule 2, Part 1, Class ATell us about your project and get a fixed, no-obligation quote back within one working day. If you don't need planning permission at all, we'll tell you that too — for free.
Croydon no longer has a published depth figure for householders: its Suburban Design Guide was revoked in July 2022. Permitted development allows 3 metres on most houses and 4 on a detached house; beyond that the officer judges the effect on neighbours and the street.
No. The council revoked SPD2 on 25 July 2022 and says it no longer counts as material guidance from 26 July 2022. The Local Plan policies remain, but the detailed illustrated rules do not.
Croydon's validation list says the London Plan requires fire safety information, and that either a fire statement or an exception statement must be submitted at validation. We prepare the right one for your scheme.
The council's conservation page names Chatsworth Road, The Waldrons and Kenley Aerodrome. In Chatsworth Road the direction removes the right to extend or alter a dwelling house and to alter its roof.
£765 inc survey (£565 if you supply measured drawings). That covers the measured survey, the drawings and the submission, with free revisions until the council decides. Croydon's own application fee is separate and goes to the council.
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