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Southwark, London

New build drawings in Southwark

New build drawings in Southwark show the council a proposed house or small block in enough detail to decide it: site plan, floor plans, elevations, sections and the neighbouring context. We prepare them from £1,450 including VAT. Southwark is a dense, flat-dominated borough with very little room to hide a mistake, so the drawings need to be precise about levels, boundaries and daylight from the first sheet.

From £1,450 (VAT included)

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  • LABC Partnered
  • Fixed fees, VAT included

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We use it to check conservation areas and constraints.
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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 new build 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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    Pencil resting on a dimensioned technical drawing beside a scale rule

    The charges and policies that shape a Southwark new build

    In the sources we hold, Southwark sets no single numeric garden or window-distance figure for new dwellings, so the local test comes down to the Southwark Plan 2022 and to money. Under the Southwark Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Charging Schedule, the borough charges residential floorspace at £598/m² (Zone 1); £300/m² (Zone 2); £74/m² (Zone 3). The Mayor adds a charge in band 2 at £72.73 per square metre this year.

    The gap between the highest and lowest zone is large enough to change a scheme's economics, so we price the levy into the first option sketch rather than presenting it after the design is fixed. The council's Householder development SPD is aimed at extensions. A new house is judged against the plan itself, which is why the application needs its own design statement and a clear case for the plot.

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

    Local figures for Southwark

    Figures with their unit, period and source
    MeasureValuePeriodSource
    Minor application decisions560 decisions1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Minor applications granted90.2 %1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Minor applications decided in time91.4 % decided within 8 weeks or an agreed extended period1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.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
    Conservation areas53 named conservation areas published by the council—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
    Mayoral CIL charging band2 MCIL2 charging band (1-3)—london.gov.uk
    Mayoral CIL rate (indexed)72.73 £/m² (indexed, permissions granted in 2026)—london.gov.uk
    Borough CIL residential rate£598/m² (Zone 1); £300/m² (Zone 2); £74/m² (Zone 3)rates adjusted for 2026 indexation, schedule in effect from 29 September 2026southwark.gov.uk
    Erection of dwellinghouses, not more than 10: per dwellinghouse, from 1 Apr 2026610 GBP per dwelling—ribblevalley.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
    Building regulations, layer by layerPart A: structure: Approved Document A: Structure, 2004 edition incorporating 2004, 2010 and 2013 amendments. Part B: fire safety: All dwellings: fire detection and alarm system minimum Grade D2 Category LD3 (BS 5839-6), mains-operated smoke alarms to BS EN 14604. Part L: insulation: New elements in existing dwellings, limiting U-values W/(m²·K): roof 0.15, wall 0.18, floor 0.18, windows 1.4 (or WER Band B), doors 1.4. Part K: stairs: 2.0 m clear headroom over stairs. Full plans application: Building control body must decide a full plans application within 5 weeks, or longer if agreed in writingPart A: structurePart B: fire safetyPart L: insulationPart K: stairsFull plans applicationABCDE

    Building regulations, layer by layer

    The Approved Documents that shape most house projects, from structure to the application itself.

    A · Part A: structure
    Approved Document A: Structure, 2004 edition incorporating 2004, 2010 and 2013 amendments
    B · Part B: fire safety
    All dwellings: fire detection and alarm system minimum Grade D2 Category LD3 (BS 5839-6), mains-operated smoke alarms to BS EN 14604
    C · Part L: insulation
    New elements in existing dwellings, limiting U-values W/(m²·K): roof 0.15, wall 0.18, floor 0.18, windows 1.4 (or WER Band B), doors 1.4
    D · Part K: stairs
    2.0 m clear headroom over stairs
    E · Full plans application
    Building control body must decide a full plans application within 5 weeks, or longer if agreed in writing

    Southwark's decision record for minor schemes

    A single house or a pair of houses is a minor application. Over its latest twelve months of published figures the council decided 560 of them and granted 90.2 per cent, with 91.4 per cent decided in time or within an agreed extension. Householder applications ran slightly higher, at 94.8 per cent granted. These are the council's own statistics and describe the past; they say nothing certain about your site.

    The housing stock explains the borough's character. Only 21.8 per cent of households live in a house or bungalow, and 28.9 per cent own their home. A new freestanding house is therefore unusual here, and officers will look closely at how it relates to the terraces, estates and railway arches around it.

    Heritage, trees and Article 4 on a Southwark plot

    Constraint mapping decides how long the early weeks take. Southwark lists 53 conservation areas, 919 listed building entries (of which 4 are Grade I) and 36 entries on the Heritage at Risk Register. The council also publishes 480 Article 4 directions and 724 tree preservation zones, so a quiet infill plot can still carry a protected tree or a removed permitted right.

    None of the borough is Green Belt: the mapped share is 0 per cent. Instead the pressure comes from neighbours. Our site plan, street scene and shadow studies are built on the 3D model, which makes the effect of a half-metre change in height visible before it reaches the officer. The Southwark architectural drawings hub sets out how the same constraints affect our other services.

    Route, timing and fees for a new house in Southwark

    A new dwelling is a full planning application. The statutory clock runs for 8 weeks on a non-major scheme and 13 weeks on a major one, and major means Major development: 10 or more dwellings, or a site of 0.5 ha or more where the number is unknown. The council's fee is £610 per dwelling for up to nine homes, paid separately from our drawings.

    Prices give context. The average Southwark home costs £572,478, a terraced house £838,160 and a flat £469,796, so many schemes here weigh a house against a small block of flats on the same land. If you are weighing that choice, our planning drawings in Southwark can test both layouts. If you first need to prove an existing use is lawful, see the borough's lawful development certificate route.

    How we take a Southwark plot from survey to submission

    The first call is a free constraints check on the address. We then arrange a measured survey, build the existing site in 3D and draw two or three options with levy, daylight and amenity space marked. After you choose, we produce the full planning set, and a second chartered technologist checks it before submission. If the council asks for amendments we redraw them at no extra charge.

    A decision is the start of the next stage. The same model becomes your building regulations drawings, and our team coordinates them with the structural engineer. For a borough next door with a different levy pattern, compare new build drawings in Tower Hamlets.

    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
    Points, not guesses
    Paint across the grid with the pointer.

    Other services in Southwark

    New build drawings nearby

    Questions

    What does the Community Infrastructure Levy cost on a new house in Southwark?

    Southwark's residential rates are £598/m² (Zone 1); £300/m² (Zone 2); £74/m² (Zone 3), and the Mayoral levy is £72.73 per square metre. Any new dwelling is liable to CIL regardless of size (unless relief applies).

    How many minor applications does Southwark grant?

    The council granted 90.2 per cent of 560 minor decisions in its latest twelve months of published figures. It is a record, not a promise.

    Does Article 4 affect a new build in Southwark?

    A new house needs full planning permission regardless, so Article 4 matters mainly for extensions and changes of use. The borough publishes 480 directions, and we check each against your address.

    How long does the council have to decide?

    The statutory period is 8 weeks for a non-major application, unless you agree a longer one.

    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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