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Lewisham, London

Change of use drawings in Lewisham

Lewisham spent three years getting its Class E Article 4 direction through central government, and it now covers the borough's centres and employment areas. Our change of use drawings in Lewisham start from £879, and we check whether your building is inside the specified areas before suggesting a route.

From £679 drawings + £200 survey (£879 total), no VAT to add

  • MCIAT chartered
  • £2m PI insured
  • LABC Partnered
  • Fixed fees, no VAT to add

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We use it to check conservation areas and constraints.
Pick the council that decides your application.
A few lines: what you want to build, and anything the council has already said.
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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 change of use drawings

    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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    What the direction covers

    The council's page describes a non-immediate direction for Major, District and Local Centres, Strategic Industrial Locations, Mixed-Use Employment Locations, some Locally Significant Industrial Sites and some parades. Its status is recorded as in force from 1 November 2025, after confirmation by the Mayor and Cabinet.

    From that date, a change from commercial, business and service use to a dwelling in the specified areas needs a planning application. The council's reasoning is that indiscriminate loss of commercial floorspace through permitted development would harm town centres and employment locations.

    Outside those areas the national route applies: Class E to C3 by prior approval after 2 years' continuous Class E use.

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

    Local figures for Lewisham

    Figures with their unit, period and source
    MeasureValuePeriodSource
    A non-immediate Article 4 direction removes the Class MA right to change from Class E to dwellings (C3) in Major, District and Local Centres, Strategic Industrial Locations, Mixed-Use Employment Locations, some Locally Significant Industrial Sites and some parades. The Mayor and Cabinet confirmed it on 29 January 2025 and it comes into force on 1 November 2025.in force from 1 November 2025—lewisham.gov.uk, Council page: Article 4 Direction for Class E, direction summary
    Two Article 4 directions cover the whole borough: the Southern Wards (old ward boundaries) since 7 March 2020, and the remainder of the borough since 19 January 2024. Permitted development rights to change a dwelling (C3) to a small HMO (C4) do not apply, so planning permission is required.whole borough from 19 January 2024—lewisham.gov.uk, Council page: Article 4 direction on small HMOs, direction summary
    Lewisham's Additional Licensing scheme came into force on 5 April 2022 and covers houses where three or four people who are not one household share facilities, and purpose-built flat blocks where three or more unrelated people share. Licences are usually valid for five years.since 5 April 2022—lewisham.gov.uk, Council page: Which HMOs need a licence, Additional licensing
    Sch 2 Pt 3 Class MA, para MA.1(1)(b)Class E to C3 by prior approval after 2 years' continuous Class E use—legislation.gov.uk
    Sch 2 Pt 3 para W(11)(c)56 days—legislation.gov.uk
    GPDO 2015 art 3(9A)Homes created under PD must meet the nationally described space standard—legislation.gov.uk
    Approved Document E 2003 incl. 2015, Table 0.1aSeparating walls 43 dB DnT,w+Ctr (min); floors and stairs 43 dB airborne (min), 64 dB L'nT,w impact (max) for dwellings formed by material change of use—gov.uk
    TCPA 1990 s55(3)(a)Using a single dwellinghouse as two or more dwellinghouses is a material change of use—legislation.gov.uk
    Change of use of a building to one or more separate dwellinghouses, not more than 10: per dwellinghouse, from 1 Apr 2026610 GBP per dwelling—ribblevalley.gov.uk
    Households living in a house42.2 % of households living in a house or bungalow (detached, semi-detached or terraced)Census 2021nomisweb.co.uk
    Conservation areas30 named conservation areas published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Minor application decisions534 decisions1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Minor applications granted83.7 %1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Minor applications decided in time94.8 % decided within 8 weeks or an agreed extended period1 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 Lewisham
    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

    Why this matters for an investor

    Under prior approval the council cannot weigh the loss of employment space; under a full application it can. That raises the evidence needed: marketing history, vacancy and the quality of the replacement homes.

    The council has 56 days to decide a prior approval where it is open, and officers look only at the matters the Order lists. We draw to the route the building actually qualifies for, and say so in writing.

    Houses and shared houses

    Lewisham has 42.2 per cent of households in houses, and its small-HMO control is borough-wide: whole borough from 19 January 2024. Additional licensing has applied since 5 April 2022. See HMO conversion drawings in Lewisham.

    Splitting a house into flats is its own route: Using a single dwellinghouse as two or more dwellinghouses is a material change of use. See flat conversion drawings in Lewisham.

    Space, sound and fees

    New homes must meet the space standard: Homes created under PD must meet the nationally described space standard. For sound, Separating walls 43 dB DnT,w+Ctr (min); floors and stairs 43 dB airborne (min), 64 dB L'nT,w impact (max) for dwellings formed by material change of use.

    Lewisham decided 534 minor applications in the latest published year, granted 83.7 per cent and decided 94.8 per cent in time. The fee to change a building to separate dwellings is £610 each in a scheme of not more than ten, paid to the council.

    Next steps

    The borough has 30 conservation areas. For the overview see architectural drawings in Lewisham, and for the permitted route prior approval drawings.

    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 Lewisham

    Change of use drawings nearby

    Questions

    When did Lewisham's Class E direction take effect?

    The council records it as in force from 1 November 2025.

    Which areas does it cover?

    Major, district and local centres, industrial and mixed-use employment locations, some industrial sites and some parades, as set out on the council's maps.

    Do I need permission for a small HMO in Lewisham?

    Yes: whole borough from 19 January 2024.

    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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