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Southwark, London

Biodiversity net gain plans in Southwark

We have found no Southwark biodiversity rule for homes beyond the national one, so the national condition applies: a new dwelling or larger scheme must leave habitat at least 10 per cent better, while householder work is exempt. What makes Southwark different is the setting, with a great many conservation areas and Article 4 directions around the site. We prepare the plan on a fixed quote after a free constraints check.

Fixed quote after a free constraints check

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    Architectural model of a four-storey London stucco townhouse in its terrace, with a portico, area railings, sash windows, a cornice and chimney stacks
    The house as it stands: four storeys over a lower ground floor.Existing Proposed worksAn illustrative model, built for this page.

    How we work on biodiversity net gain plans

    Seven steps from first call to approval.

    The same model cut through the middle: every floor, the stair, the chimney breasts, the new mansard, rear extension and basement in section
    Section through the model: every floor on one datum.

    1. Enquiry and constraints check

      We check the property against conservation areas, listed status, Article 4 directions, tree preservation orders, flood zone and planning history. We choose the right route and send a fixed quote.

    2. Measured survey

      We survey the house on one datum: rooms, levels, boundaries, drains, trees and the neighbours' windows that the 45° and 25° tests depend on.

    3. Design options

      We model the house in Revit and show you options in 3D and plan, with the planning strategy and the precedents in your street.

    4. Design frozen

      You choose an option in writing. Nothing changes after this without your say.

    5. Independent check

      A second chartered technologist checks every sheet against the council's validation checklist and the policy. A senior review signs it off before anything is submitted.

    6. Submission

      We prepare the forms, certificates, fee and documents and submit through the Planning Portal.

    7. Officer liaison

      We answer the planning officer and make any amendments within five working days, at no charge until approval.

    Free redraws until approval. Every drawing set is checked independently, and the checker is never the person who drew it.

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    Georgian brick terrace with sash windows, arched fanlight doorways, stone steps and iron railings in London

    Southwark follows the national rule, in a heavily controlled setting

    We have not found a local biodiversity percentage or validation item above the statutory figure for Southwark, so the metric, the baseline and the gain follow the national framework. Where Southwark differs is in what surrounds the habitat: 53 conservation areas, 919 listed building entries and 480 Article 4 directions.

    Those controls shape the form the gain can take. A green roof, a climbing hedge or a new tree in a front garden can need the same consent logic as any other change in an Article 4 area, so we check what the direction removes before we draw the planting.

    In a conservation area, a tree of modest size still needs notice to the council before it is felled, and that notice interacts with the baseline survey.

    For an owner this means one early question: what does the Article 4 direction on my street remove, and does a proposed green roof, hedge or tree fall inside it? We read the direction text and map before the baseline is even drawn.

    Brick cottage with a tiled roof, chimneys and a front dormer window

    Local figures for Southwark

    Figures with their unit, period and source
    MeasureValuePeriodSource
    Conservation areas53 named conservation areas published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Listed building entries919 list entries (Historic England, within the LPA boundary)—planning.data.gov.uk
    Article 4 directions480 Article 4 directions published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Tree preservation zones724 tree preservation zone polygons published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Domestic gardens share of land (GLUD 2005)17.6 % of land that is domestic garden (GLUD 2005)2005data.london.gov.uk
    Households living in a house21.8 % of households living in a house or bungalow (detached, semi-detached or terraced)Census 2021nomisweb.co.uk
    Heritage at Risk entries36 Heritage at Risk Register entries within the LPA boundary (Historic England)—planning.data.gov.uk
    Householder applications granted94.8 %1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Minor applications granted90.2 %1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Minor application decisions560 decisions1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Environment Act 2021 Sch 14 para 2, inserting Sch 7A TCPA 1990: 'relevant percentage' 10%10 %—legislation.gov.uk
    'Developments of 0.2 hectares or below': from 6 August 2026 BNG does not apply where the site area within the red line boundary is 0.2 ha or below0.2 ha—gov.uk
    Sch 7A para 9(3) as inserted: enhancement maintained for at least 30 years after completion30 years—legislation.gov.uk
    Householder decisions558 decisions1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk

    A blank value means the figure has not been published, not that there are none. Check your own address with the council.

    Councils bordering Southwark
    Which application your project needsLawful Development Certificate decision: 8 weeks. Prior approval decision: 42 days. Householder decision: 8 weeksYour projectWithin permitted development?Lawful Development CertificatePrior approvalHouseholder applicationYesLarger rear extensionNoABC

    Which application your project needs

    The usual route for a house; flats and listed buildings follow other rules.

    A · Lawful Development Certificate decision
    8 weeks
    B · Prior approval decision
    42 days
    C · Householder decision
    8 weeks

    Trees and gardens in a dense borough

    The borough records 724 tree preservation zones, and gardens cover 17.6 per cent of land. Only 21.8 per cent of households live in a house, so the plots where a plan is needed are small: a rear yard, a mews, a former workshop.

    Because those plots are small, the baseline is often low and a modest scheme of planting, roof and trees can reach the gain on site. Where it cannot, registered off-site units are the next option and credits the last.

    Heritage at Risk entries number 36 in the borough, and a site close to one may be asked to show that new planting does not harm its setting.

    A plot that looks bare is not always empty. Self-seeded buddleia, ivy on a wall or a fig in a corner all count as habitat in the metric, and each is graded by condition. We record them on a dated survey, because the baseline is fixed by what was there before any work began.

    Which Southwark projects need a plan

    Extensions, lofts and permitted development are exempt. A new house on a site of 0.2 hectares or less is also exempt, unless priority habitat is present, and impacts under 25 square metres of habitat fall below the de minimis line.

    In practice most Southwark homeowners are exempt. The plan arrives with a development of several flats, a larger backland site or a scheme on a former industrial plot with spontaneous vegetation.

    When one is needed, the gain is maintained for at least 30 years.

    Several Southwark developments are conversions of Victorian houses to flats. With no external works, they are usually untouched by the condition. If the rear is excavated or an extension is added to the garden side, the garden lost is measured like any other.

    Decisions and what we prepare

    Householder applications are granted 94.8 per cent of the time and minor applications 90.2 per cent across 560 decisions. The record is strong, which suggests officers expect a complete, well-argued file.

    We draw the landscape sheet within our planning drawings, and where a house is turned into flats our flat conversion drawings deal with the same site. Where the question is whether permission is needed at all, see our lawful development certificate work.

    A scheme that is refused and taken to appeal carries its ecology evidence with it, so we draft the plan to stand alone. See our planning appeals service for how that route is run.

    Householder cases in the borough run to 558 decisions, so officers see exemption claims every week. A claim that cites the right exemption and matches the drawings is accepted quickly; one that is vague draws a question that costs time.

    Price and next step

    There is no list price, because the work follows the habitat parcels. You receive a fixed quote after a free constraints check.

    Send the address and a sketch. We will tell you whether the condition applies and, in an Article 4 area, what the planting can and cannot include.

    What you receive

    Planning drawing sheet for a rear extension with plans, elevations and sections
    Sample drawing. Planning drawings for a rear extension: plans, elevations and sections on one sheet set.
    Rear view of brick terraced houses in London with slate roofs and chimney stacks along the shared roofline
    The street around you
    Move across the plinth — the blocks rise around the pointer.

    Other services in Southwark

    Biodiversity net gain plans nearby

    Questions

    Does Southwark ask for more than the national gain?

    We have not found a local figure above 10 per cent.

    Do Article 4 directions affect a biodiversity plan?

    They can limit changes such as front-garden alterations, so we check them before drawing the planting.

    Is a flat conversion exempt?

    Internal conversion with no external works is usually not affected, but any new garden or roof works are tested.

    How long is the gain maintained?

    For at least 30 years.

    Sources and dates

    City of London skyline glowing at dusk across the Thames under a dramatic orange sky

    Tell us about your property.

    We check the constraints, then send a fixed fee. Messages before 3pm get a reply the same working day.

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