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Southwark, London

Planning consultant in Southwark

Southwark has 480 Article 4 directions on its books, which can remove rights that owners elsewhere take for granted. Add 53 conservation areas and a dense mix of flats and terraces, and a Southwark address deserves a planning view before any design is fixed. We act as planning consultant for Southwark homes on a fixed quote after a free constraints check, and our MCIAT chartered architectural technologists draw the result.

Fixed quote after a free constraints check

  • MCIAT chartered
  • £2m PI insured
  • 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 planning consultant

    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 Southwark Plan and the new householder guidance

    Planning decisions here follow the Southwark Plan 2022, adopted in 2,022. For home alterations the council has issued its Householder development SPD, and officers use it as the checklist for extensions, roof work and outbuildings.

    That guidance is new, so older advice online about Southwark may no longer match what the case officer will cite. A consultant checks which edition applies and sets the scheme against the current wording.

    Southwark also holds an Article 4 direction for houses in multiple occupation, so turning a family home into a shared house needs permission rather than relying on permitted change.

    Rows of brick terraced houses and gardens on a residential street

    Local figures for Southwark

    Figures with their unit, period and source
    MeasureValuePeriodSource
    Article 4 directions480 Article 4 directions published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Article 4 direction areas480 Article 4 direction area polygons published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Conservation areas53 named conservation areas published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Tree preservation zones724 tree preservation zone polygons published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Listed building entries919 list entries (Historic England, within the LPA boundary)—planning.data.gov.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
    Households living in a house21.8 % of households living in a house or bungalow (detached, semi-detached or terraced)Census 2021nomisweb.co.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

    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

    Why Southwark homes look different from the rest of London

    Only 21.8 per cent of households here live in a house, and just 28.9 per cent own their home. Most of the casework is therefore flats, maisonettes and terraces where permitted development does not apply the way it does for a detached house.

    Flats have no householder permitted development rights at all, so even a small alteration to a flat, a rear addition or a roof terrace can need a full application. That is the situation where a consultant earns the fee, because the route is a judgement and not a lookup.

    The borough maps 480 separate Article 4 areas, and its tree preservation zones number 724. On a tight urban plot, a protected tree next door can set the footprint of an extension.

    A practical consequence is that neighbours are close. On streets of terraces and converted houses, an extension changes the outlook for people on both sides, so the statement should address overlooking, outlook and light directly rather than leave objectors to raise them first.

    What the decision figures say

    Southwark decided 558 householder applications in the latest twelve months and granted 94.8 per cent, with 95.3 per cent decided in time. Minor schemes did nearly as well, with 90.2 per cent granted from 560 decisions.

    Those are high grant rates, but they describe the applications the borough received, and the figures should not be read as a promise that any proposal will be accepted.

    The listed stock is large as well: 919 Historic England entries and 36 Heritage at Risk entries. Close to a listed building, even a minor scheme is read against its setting.

    Planning consultant in Southwark: from address to submission

    Send the address, and we read the borough designations, the site history and the neighbours first. For a flat, we also ask who owns the freehold, because a lease can restrict what the council could permit anyway.

    The next step is a short scoping note that names the route, the policies that decide it and the supporting documents the council will expect. On a Southwark flat that often includes a statement on residential amenity and, near older buildings, a note on setting.

    Drawings and statement are then prepared as one package from a single survey, checked by a second chartered technologist and submitted with the correct fee. We deal with the case officer after submission and tell you what each consultation response means for the outcome.

    Levy zones and what to budget

    The borough levy varies by zone: £598/m² (Zone 1); £300/m² (Zone 2); £74/m² (Zone 3). The zone your address sits in changes the bill for any new floor space, so we confirm it from the charging map before quoting a scheme that adds a home.

    The Mayoral levy adds 72.73 pounds per square metre once indexed, in charging band 2. Householder additions are usually exempt, but a new flat or house is not.

    The householder fee is £548. If your plan involves a change to an existing home, read our planning drawings for Southwark and our prior approval drawings for Southwark alongside this page.

    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.
    Georgian brick terrace with sash windows, arched fanlight doorways, stone steps and iron railings in London
    The street around you
    Move across the plinth — the blocks rise around the pointer.

    Other services in Southwark

    Planning consultant nearby

    Questions

    Does a Southwark flat need a planning consultant?

    Often, yes. Flats have no householder permitted development rights, so even small alterations may need a full application. We check the route before you spend on drawings.

    How many Article 4 directions does Southwark have?

    The council publishes 480 Article 4 directions across 480 mapped areas.

    How many Southwark householder applications are granted?

    The council granted 94.8 per cent of 558 householder decisions in the latest twelve months. That is a borough figure, not a promise for your scheme.

    What does planning consultancy cost in Southwark?

    We give a fixed quote after a free constraints check. The council fee for a householder application is separate, at £548.

    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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