Lewisham covers Blackheath, Lee, Hither Green, Forest Hill, Catford, and Deptford. The borough has an interesting planning geography — the western areas around Blackheath have significant conservation area and heritage sensitivity, while the eastern areas (Catford, Bellingham, Grove Park) are more permissive. The council processes a large volume of standard householder applications and has a generally pragmatic approach.
Common projects that may be straightforward when they fit within PD limits and local constraints.
These are the usual reasons planning permission becomes more likely in Lewisham.
The biggest drivers of approval are the exact proposal (dimensions and design) and the exact site constraints (designation, conditions, neighbour impacts). Use borough context as a starting point, then validate it with address-level checks and nearby precedents.
Projects that stay modest in size, match materials, and avoid obvious neighbour impacts are more likely to be straightforward — even before you consider borough-specific policies.
Conservation areas, listed buildings, Article 4 directions, flood risk and TPOs can flip the answer. Address-level checks stop you wasting money on the wrong scheme.
The fastest signal is what the council has approved or refused on comparable streets nearby. Precedent does not guarantee success, but it helps you shape a lower-risk design.
Councils rarely refuse the "idea" of an extension or loft conversion — refusals are usually about scale, design, neighbour impacts, and policy/designation conflicts. When you run a check, CanUBuild shows nearby approvals and refusals so you can see what has worked locally.
An invalid application cannot be registered. Use this checklist to ensure your submission is complete before you pay the fee.
Requirements can change — always verify the current validation checklist on the Lewisham Council website before submitting.
Search the address, choose your project type, and get an answer based on permitted development rules, local constraints, and nearby precedent decisions.
The village centre of Blackheath sits at the boundary of Lewisham and the Royal Borough of Greenwich. Your planning authority depends on your specific address — check which side of the boundary you are on. The conservation area spans both boroughs.
Very possibly — Catford and the eastern areas of Lewisham have limited conservation area coverage and many properties benefit from full PD rights. Check your address specifically to confirm no constraints apply.
Lewisham's Development Management Local Plan sets design expectations around scale, materials, and relationship to the street. Extensions should respect the character of the host building. The council will apply these policies to formal planning applications.
Yes — Deptford and parts of the riverside are the subject of significant regeneration activity. Lewisham town centre is also being regenerated. These are primarily relevant for major developments, not typical domestic extensions in residential streets.
Last reviewed: 2026-03 · This guide is for general information only. Always verify with Lewisham Council or a qualified planning consultant before making decisions.