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Wandsworth, London

Planning appeals in Wandsworth

Wandsworth refusals can quote an older guidance document that covers rear extensions, basements and roof extensions in one place, while the borough grants 91.9 per cent of householder applications overall. Appeal a householder refusal within 12 weeks of the notice. We read the refusal against both documents, then prepare the drawings and statement if an appeal is the right move.

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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 planning appeals

    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

    One housing SPD, and a newer local plan

    The borough's householder guidance is the Housing SPD (covers rear extensions, basements, roof extensions and loft conversions), alongside the Basement extensions guidance (non-statutory). The development plan is the Wandsworth Local Plan 2023-2038. The guidance therefore predates the plan, and a refusal that relies on it invites an obvious question: does the current plan actually say the same?

    That question is the heart of many Wandsworth appeals. Guidance is only a material consideration, and an inspector weighs it below the adopted plan. Where an officer quoted a depth, a height or a roof-form preference from the older SPD as if it were a rule, we examine whether the plan supports it and whether the particular street justifies it.

    There is no council rule for appeals as a process, so we begin with the reasons, one at a time, and the officer's report beside them. If a reason is vague, for example a general reference to character with no street comparison, that vagueness is itself something an appeal can press on, because the council must show the harm it alleges.

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

    Local figures for Wandsworth

    Figures with their unit, period and source
    MeasureValuePeriodSource
    Householder decisions977 decisions1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Householder applications granted91.9 %1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Householder applications decided in time92.4 % decided within 8 weeks or an agreed extended period1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Minor application decisions902 decisions1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Minor applications granted86.7 %1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Conservation areas46 named conservation areas published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Households living in a house31.4 % of households living in a house or bungalow (detached, semi-detached or terraced)Census 2021nomisweb.co.uk
    DMPO 2015 art 37(2)(a): householder appeal, from the date of the decision notice12 weeks—legislation.gov.uk
    Annex B, householder appeals (written representations), decisions in June 2026; 351 decisions11.6 weeks—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 Wandsworth
    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

    Reading Wandsworth's decision record

    The council decided 977 householder applications in the latest year, granted 91.9 per cent and decided 92.4 per cent in time. For minor applications the numbers were 902 decisions, 86.7 per cent granted and 88.1 per cent in time.

    Householder and minor volumes here are close to each other, which fits a borough of houses next to blocks of flats: 31.4 per cent of households live in a house, and 42.5 per cent own their home. Two sorts of client therefore appeal, and the evidence differs for each: the house owner needs street comparisons and neighbour sections, while the flat owner needs lease and daylight evidence.

    As with any council figures, these describe the borough's decisions, not the inspector's, and we do not use them to forecast an appeal.

    Loft, basement and rear extension refusals

    Because the housing SPD sets out rules for roof extensions, basements and rear additions together, a single refusal can touch all three. Roof refusals often turn on how a dormer or hip-to-gable change looks from the street. Basement refusals turn on groundwater, structure and construction method. Rear extensions turn on depth against the neighbours.

    Each needs its own evidence, and a mixed refusal needs the three kept apart so that an inspector can allow one part and dismiss another. For roofs we produce clear elevations and street-view montages. For basements the case needs technical evidence, and we coordinate with the structural engineer. For rear additions we use sections and the sun path to answer neighbour concerns.

    The borough has 46 conservation areas, 312 listed entries and 8 heritage-at-risk entries. Where a conservation area applies, the character argument comes first. A heritage-at-risk entry close by can also shape what an inspector expects to see, so we note any within sight of your house and show how the scheme relates to it.

    Time limits and likely duration

    A householder appeal has a limit of 12 weeks. For other applications the limit is 6 months from the decision notice (or expiry of the decision period). In the Inspectorate's latest release householder appeals by written representations had a median of 11.6 weeks, and the twelve-month median for written representations was 18 weeks.

    Those are national figures, not a forecast for your case. If the refusal is narrow, a revised planning application in Wandsworth may be faster. Where something was built without consent, see our page on retrospective planning applications in Wandsworth.

    What you receive

    We prepare corrected drawings, grounds of appeal for each reason and a short statement, checked by a second MCIAT chartered technologist. We never promise an outcome, because the inspector is independent.

    You get a fixed quote after the free constraints check. Borough background is on our page for architectural drawings in Wandsworth, and nearby we cover planning appeals in Lambeth and planning appeals in Richmond upon Thames.

    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 Wandsworth

    Planning appeals nearby

    Questions

    My Wandsworth refusal quotes the housing SPD. Is that binding?

    No. An SPD is guidance, a material consideration weighed below the adopted plan. We check whether the plan itself supports the officer's point.

    Can a basement refusal be appealed?

    Yes, but the case usually needs technical evidence on structure and groundwater, so we work with an engineer before the grounds are written.

    How long do I have to appeal?

    12 weeks for a householder application, counted from the date on the decision notice.

    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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