Planning in London Boroughs
If you want to get Planning Permission in London it helps to know the rules in each Borough. Most have their own local Planning Policy to work to, and some are tougher than others. Each London Borough deals with planning permission in their own way. Some have a design guide to download known as an SPD or SPG, others offer free pre-application advice, but most now charge for this.
What are SPDs and SPGs?
Each Council is required to publish their own Planning Policy as part of the wider London Plan. An SPD is a Supplementary Planning Document and an SPG is Supplementary Planning Guidance. These are documents that the Council can publish to supplement their main planning policy and to explain their requirements in more detail. Most Councils publish either an SPD or SPG specifically aimed at giving Residential Design Guidance.
Planning Policy in your Borough
We have listed every London Borough below along with the following key details. So just look up your Borough below to get this information, and give yourself the best start to understanding Planning in your part of London.
- The % of residential planning applications approved last year
- Links to residential design guidance for householder projects
- Whether the pre-aaplication advice offered is free or paid for
Featured image is a map based on UK Gov Data showing % of Homeowner Planning Applications approved by each London Borough last year
Barking and Dagenham
735 householder planning applications were submitted in Barking and Dagenham last year.
Download the Barking and Dagenham Residential Extensions and Alterations SPD
Pre-application advice costs £250 in Barking and Dagenham, but this is more than the cost of making a planning application so does not make sense for most people.
Barnet
2,100 householder planning applications were submitted in Barnet last year.
Download the Barnet Residential Design Guide SPD
Pre-application advice costs £148.20 in Barnet but does not include a site visit or a meeting so many people go straight to a planning application instead.
Bexley
1,400 householder planning applications were submitted in Bexley last year.
Download the Bexley Design For Living Residential Design Guide
Pre-application advice costs £90 in Bexley which is one of the lowest charges in London, so it might be worth taking them up on their offer.
Brent
1,300 householder planning applications were submitted in Brent last year.
Download the Brent Residential Extensions and Alterations SPD
Pre-application advice costs £240 in Brent, but this is more than the cost of making a planning application so does not make sense for most people.
Bromley
2,200 householder planning applications were submitted in Bromley last year.
Download the Bromley Residential Design Guide SPG
Pre-application advice costs £150 in Bromley, so is quite sensible if there is some planning risk in your project.
Camden
416 householder planning applications were submitted in Camden last year.
Camden do not publish a residential design guide SPD or SPG
Camden charge £433 for pre-application advice which is one of the most expensive, and much more than the cost of a planning application.
City of London
10 householder planning applications were submitted in City of London last year.
City of London do not publish a residential design guide SPD or SPG
Pre-application advice is free in the City of London so we recommend taking up this offer
Croydon
1,400 householder planning applications were submitted in Croydon last year.
Download the Croydon Residential Extensions and Alterations SPD
Pre-application advice costs £96 in Croydon which is one of the lowest charges in London, so it might be worth taking them up on their offer.
Ealing
1,300 householder planning applications were submitted in Ealing last year.
Download the Ealing Residential Extensions SPD
Pre-application advice costs £150 in Ealing, so is quite sensible if there is some planning risk in your project.
Enfield
1,200 householder planning applications were submitted in Enfield last year.
Enfield do not publish a residential design guide SPD or SPG
Pre-application advice is free in Enfield so we recommend taking up this offer
Greenwich
975 householder planning applications were submitted in Greenwich last year.
Download the Greenwich Residential Extensions Basements and Conversions SPD
Pre-application advice is free in Greenwich so we recommend taking up this offer
Hackney
547 householder planning applications were submitted in Hackney last year.
Download the Hackney Residential Extensions and Alterations SPD
Pre-application advice costs £90 in Hackney which is one of the lowest charges in London, so it might be worth taking them up on their offer.
Hammersmith and Fulham
1,400 householder planning applications were submitted in Hammersmith and Fulham last year.
Hammersmith and Fulham do not publish a residential design guide SPD or SPG
Pre-application advice costs £300 in Hammersmith and Fulham, but this is more than the cost of making a planning application so does not make sense for most people.
Haringey
1,200 householder planning applications were submitted in Haringey last year.
Haringey do not publish a residential design guide SPD or SPG
Pre-application advice costs £307 in Haringey, but this is more than the cost of making a planning application so does not make sense for most people.
Harrow
1,400 householder planning applications were submitted in Harrow last year.
Download the Harrow Residential Design Guide SPD
Pre-application advice costs £240 in Harrow, but this is more than the cost of making a planning application so does not make sense for most people.
Havering
1,300 householder planning applications were submitted in Havering last year.
Download the Havering Residential Extensions and Alterations SPD
Pre-application advice costs £53 in Havering which is one of the lowest charges in London, so it might be worth taking them up on their offer.
Hillingdon
1,700 householder planning applications were submitted in Hillingdon last year.
Download the Hillingdon Residential Extensions SPD
Pre-application advice is free in Hillingdon so we recommend taking up this offer.
Hounslow
1,200 householder planning applications were submitted in Hounslow last year.
Download the Hounslow Residential Extensions Guidelines SPD
Pre-application advice costs £172 in Hounslow, so is quite sensible if there is some planning risk in your project.
Islington
467 householder planning applications were submitted in Islington last year.
Islington do not publish a residential design guide SPD or SPG
Pre-application advice costs £333.60 in Islington, but this is more than the cost of making a planning application so does not make sense for most people.
Kensington and Chelsea
914 householder planning applications were submitted in Kensington and Chelsea last year.
Kensington and Chelsea do not publish a residential design guide SPD or SPG
Pre-application advice costs £446 in Kensington and Chelsea, but this is more than the cost of making a planning application so does not make sense for most people.
Kingston upon Thames
1,100 householder planning applications were submitted in Kingston upon Thames last year.
Download the Kingston upon Thames Residential Design SPD
Pre-application advice costs £145 in Kingston upon Thames, so is quite sensible if there is some planning risk in your project.
Lambeth
1,300 householder planning applications were submitted in Lambeth last year.
Download the Lambeth Building Alterations and Extensions SPD
Pre-application advice costs £137 in Lambeth, so is quite sensible if there is some planning risk in your project.
Lewisham
860 householder planning applications were submitted in Lewisham last year.
Download the Lewisham Alterations and Extensions SPD
Pre-application advice costs £216 in Lewisham, so is quite sensible if there is some planning risk in your project.
Merton
1,200 householder planning applications were submitted in Merton last year.
Merton do not publish a residential design guide SPD or SPG
Pre-application advice costs £99 in Merton which is one of the lowest charges in London, so it might be worth taking them up on their offer.
Newham
749 householder planning applications were submitted in Newham last year.
Newham do not publish a residential design guide SPD or SPG
Pre-application advice is free in Newham so we recommend taking up this offer.
Redbridge
1,500 householder planning applications were submitted in Redbridge last year.
Download the Redbridge Housing Design SPD
Pre-application advice is free in Redbridge so we recommend taking up this offer.
Richmond upon Thames
1,700 householder planning applications were submitted in Richmond upon Thames last year.
Download the Richmond upon Thames Housing Extensions and External Alterations SPD
Pre-application advice costs £123 in Richmond upon Thames, so is quite sensible if there is some planning risk in your project.
Southwark
709 householder planning applications were submitted in Southwark last year.
Download the Southwark Residential Design Standards SPD
Pre-application advice costs £150 in Southwark, so is quite sensible if there is some planning risk in your project.
Sutton
939 householder planning applications were submitted in Sutton last year.
Download the Sutton Design of Residential Extensions SPD
Pre-application advice costs £124 in Sutton, so is quite sensible if there is some planning risk in your project.
Tower Hamlets
240 householder planning applications were submitted in Tower Hamlets last year.
Tower Hamlets do not publish a residential design guide SPD or SPG
Pre-application advice is free in Tower Hamlets so we recommend taking up this offer.
Waltham Forest
626 householder planning applications were submitted in Waltham Forest last year.
Download the Waltham Forest Residential Extensions and Alterations SPD
Pre-application advice is free in Waltham Forest so we recommend taking up this offer.
Wandsworth
1,500 householder planning applications were submitted in Wandsworth last year.
Wandsworth do not publish a residential design guide SPD or SPG
Pre-application advice costs £73 in Wandsworth which is one of the lowest charges in London, so it might be worth taking them up on their offer.
Westminster
583 householder planning applications were submitted in Westminster last year.
Westminster do not publish a residential design guide SPD or SPG
Pre-application advice costs £300 in Westminster, but this is more than the cost of making a planning application so does not make sense for most people.