Wandsworth, London
Lawful Development Certificate in Wandsworth
A Lawful Development Certificate in Wandsworth gives you the council's written confirmation that a loft or rear extension needs no planning application. We draw and submit it from £645 including VAT, once we have checked your street against the borough's 46 conservation areas.
From £645 (VAT included)
- MCIAT chartered
- £2m PI insured
- LABC Partnered
- Fixed fees, VAT included
Request a fixed quote
Wandsworth's Housing SPD and your certificate
Wandsworth's Housing SPD (covers rear extensions, basements, roof extensions and loft conversions) is the council's guide to the very projects people ask us about: rear extensions, roof extensions and loft conversions. It sits within the Wandsworth Local Plan 2023-2038, adopted in 2,023, and it describes what the council will accept when a project needs full permission.
A certificate is decided on the Order, not on that guidance, so the SPD does not decide it. It does matter in two ways. It shows how close your design sits to what the council would otherwise support, and it is the fallback when permitted development turns out not to apply.
We draw to the Order first, then read the SPD against the same design. If the certificate is refused or the rights are missing, the planning drawings follow without a second survey.
Local figures for Wandsworth
| Measure | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conservation areas | 46 named conservation areas published by the council | — | planning.data.gov.uk |
| Listed building entries | 312 list entries (Historic England, within the LPA boundary) | — | planning.data.gov.uk |
| Lawful development certificate applications (PS1) | 360 certificates | 2025 Q2 to 2026 Q1 (1 Apr 2025 to 31 Mar 2026) | assets.publishing.service.gov.uk |
| Householder decisions | 977 decisions | 1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026 | assets.publishing.service.gov.uk |
| Householder applications granted | 91.9 % | 1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026 | assets.publishing.service.gov.uk |
| GPDO 2015 Sch 2 Pt 1 Class A, para A.1(f)(i) | 3 m (attached) / 4 m (detached) beyond the original rear wall, single storey | — | legislation.gov.uk |
| Class A, para A.1(f)(ii): single-storey rear extension height | 4 m | — | legislation.gov.uk |
| Class A, para A.1(i) | Eaves no higher than 3 m where within 2 m of the curtilage boundary | — | legislation.gov.uk |
| Class A, para A.1(j) | Side extension: single storey, max 4 m high, max half the width of the original house | — | legislation.gov.uk |
| GPDO 2015 Sch 2 Pt 1 Class B, para B.1(d) | 40 m³ (terrace house) / 50 m³ (any other house) additional roof volume | — | legislation.gov.uk |
| Lawful Development Certificate: proposed use or operation | Half the normal planning fee (householder: £274) | — | ribblevalley.gov.uk |
| DMPO 2015 art 39(10)(a) | 8 weeks | — | legislation.gov.uk |
| Households | 137,393 | Census 2021 (21 March 2021) | nomisweb.co.uk |
| Households living in a house | 31.4 % of households living in a house or bungalow (detached, semi-detached or terraced) | Census 2021 | nomisweb.co.uk |
| Owner-occupied households | 42.5 % of households owner-occupied (owned outright or with mortgage/loan) | Census 2021 | nomisweb.co.uk |
| GPDO 2015 art 2(1), definition of "dwellinghouse" | Householder permitted development (Sch 2 Part 1) does not apply to flats or buildings containing flats | — | legislation.gov.uk |
A blank value means the figure has not been published, not that there are none. Check your own address with the council.
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
Conservation areas and listed houses in Wandsworth
Wandsworth has 46 conservation areas and 312 listed building entries. In a conservation area, side extensions, cladding and rear extensions of more than one storey are outside Class A.
A listed house is a separate matter. It needs listed building consent for most alterations, and a certificate does not stand in for that consent.
We plot your house on the council's map and send a short written note before quoting, so you know which rights you still hold.
Lofts on Wandsworth terraces
On a terraced house the loft is often the first project. Under Class B a terrace may add 40 m³ (terrace house) / 50 m³ (any other house) additional roof volume, and the lower figure is the one that applies to a terrace.
Earlier work counts. A previous owner's dormer, or a rear extension built under an older consent, reduces what is left. We find it through the building control history and the council's planning records, then show the running total on one sheet.
The roof must also stay clear of the front slope facing the highway. Our survey records the ridge, rafters and party walls, so the volume is calculated from measurement and not from the neighbour's house.
Rear extensions and the numbers that decide them
A single-storey rear extension may reach 3 m (attached) / 4 m (detached) beyond the original rear wall, single storey and stand no higher than 4 metres. Eaves near a boundary are limited too: Eaves no higher than 3 m where within 2 m of the curtilage boundary.
Side-return infills raise a separate rule. A side extension is limited to this: Side extension: single storey, max 4 m high, max half the width of the original house. In a conservation area it is not available at all.
A second chartered technologist proofreads every dimension against the Order before submission.
Houses, flats and who can apply in Wandsworth
Wandsworth has 137,393 households, and 31.4 per cent of them live in a house. The remainder are flats and maisonettes, where the rule is plain: Householder permitted development (Sch 2 Part 1) does not apply to flats or buildings containing flats.
Owner-occupiers are 42.5 per cent of households. A leaseholder in a converted house usually needs planning permission and the freeholder's agreement rather than a certificate. We ask about tenure and conversion history in the first call, and tell you at once if the route is closed.
For a freehold house the certificate is often the better first step. It answers the planning question in writing, and the Housing SPD stays available as the fallback if the answer is no.
What the returns say, then fee and next steps
Wandsworth's planning returns record 360 lawful development certificate applications in the latest year, and the council decided 977 householder applications and granted 91.9 per cent. The second figure describes planning applications, not certificates.
The council fee for a proposed-use certificate is set nationally: Half the normal planning fee (householder: £274), which you pay to Wandsworth. Our own fee is fixed up front, with free redraws if the officer wants changes.
If the route closes, see planning drawings in Wandsworth. Once the certificate is granted, building regulations drawings in Wandsworth follow. Neighbouring pages cover Lambeth, Merton and Richmond upon Thames, and the borough overview is architectural drawings in Wandsworth.
What you receive
Related pages
Other services in Wandsworth
Lawful Development Certificates nearby
Questions
Can I get an LDC for a loft conversion in Wandsworth?
Yes where the rights survive. The Class B allowance is 40 m³ (terrace house) / 50 m³ (any other house) additional roof volume, and earlier roof work counts against it.
Does a Wandsworth conservation area block an LDC?
It limits it. The borough has 46, and inside them side extensions and rear extensions of more than one storey are outside Class A.
How much does an LDC cost in Wandsworth?
Our fee starts at £645 including VAT. The council's fee is separate: Half the normal planning fee (householder: £274).
How long does Wandsworth take to decide an LDC?
The statutory period is 8 weeks. We give any date as an estimate only.
Sources and dates
- planning.data.gov.uk, retrieved
- planning.data.gov.uk, retrieved
- assets.publishing.service.gov.uk, retrieved
- assets.publishing.service.gov.uk, retrieved
- legislation.gov.uk, retrieved
- ribblevalley.gov.uk, retrieved
- legislation.gov.uk, retrieved
- nomisweb.co.uk, retrieved
- nomisweb.co.uk, retrieved
- nomisweb.co.uk, retrieved
- legislation.gov.uk, retrieved
- wandsworth.gov.uk, retrieved
- wandsworth.gov.uk, retrieved
- legislation.gov.uk, retrieved
- Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026.
- Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. This data is licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Contains Historic England data © Historic England 2026. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2026.
Tell us about your property.
We check the constraints, then send a fixed fee. Messages before 3pm get a reply the same working day.