Do I need planning permission in Greenwich?

Planning permission in the Royal Borough of Greenwich isn't a simple yes or no — it depends heavily on your specific property, your street, and a layer of local designations most homeowners don't even know exist. Before you assume your project is straightforward, it's worth running your address through WhatCanIBuild to see what's actually working (and what isn't) for properties like yours.

Greenwich isn't a typical London borough

Most people approach planning with a rough sense that smaller projects — extensions, loft conversions, outbuildings — don't need permission. Sometimes that's true. But Greenwich has something most boroughs don't: a UNESCO World Heritage Site buffer zone around Maritime Greenwich. Properties within or near that area face a level of scrutiny that can catch homeowners completely off guard.

And that's before you factor in the conservation areas scattered across the borough, from Blackheath to Woolwich. Each one operates under its own set of sensitivities. Most homeowners don't realise that being near a protected area can matter just as much as being in one.

The rules that vary street by street

Even outside the World Heritage buffer zone, Greenwich has Article 4 Directions — planning designations that remove permitted development rights that would otherwise apply. What this means in practice: a project that would be completely fine at one address can require full planning permission just a few streets away.

Then there's flood risk. Parts of Greenwich — particularly closer to the Thames — sit in flood zones that introduce additional requirements most homeowners never anticipate. Listed buildings add another layer entirely, affecting not just the building itself but sometimes what you can do in the garden.

The uncomfortable truth is that none of this is visible from the street. You can look at your neighbour's extension and assume the same rules apply to you. They might not.

What actually gets approved in Greenwich?

This is where most planning guides stop being useful — because they can tell you the categories of risk, but not what those risks mean for your project at your address.

The best way to understand your real position isn't to read more articles. It's to see what's actually been approved and refused near you, for the same type of project, and understand how your property's specific combination of constraints shapes your chances. That's exactly what WhatCanIBuild surfaces — not just whether you're in a conservation area, but what that has actually meant for similar projects on similar streets.

If you do need to submit a householder application in Greenwich, the fee is £258 and you're typically looking at an 8-week decision window. But whether you need to apply at all — and whether it's likely to succeed — depends on details no general guide can give you.

The best way to know where you stand is to check your specific address. WhatCanIBuild shows you the planning intelligence that's actually relevant to your property — the approvals, the refusals, and what they tell you about your chances.