Planning permission in Lewisham isn't one set of rules applied consistently across the borough. It's a patchwork of national guidance, local restrictions, and property-specific constraints — and most homeowners don't realise how complicated that is until they've already started. WhatCanIBuild exists precisely for this: to cut through the noise and show you what actually applies to your address.
The short version
- Lewisham has over 25 conservation areas — rules vary significantly within them
- Article 4 directions can remove permitted development rights you assumed you had
- What your neighbour got approved may have nothing to do with what you'll get approved
Conservation areas are everywhere — and they're not all the same
Lewisham has over 25 designated conservation areas, covering parts of SE4, SE6, SE13, SE23, and beyond. If your property falls within one, certain works that wouldn't need planning permission elsewhere suddenly do. But here's what catches homeowners out: being in a conservation area doesn't tell you much on its own. The restrictions that apply depend on the specific character of that area, what's been approved or refused nearby, and how Lewisham's planning officers have interpreted similar applications on your street.
Knowing you're in a conservation area is the start of the question, not the answer.
Article 4 directions remove rights you thought you had
Permitted development rights let homeowners carry out certain works without applying for planning permission. Most people assume those rights apply to them. In Lewisham, that assumption can be wrong.
Article 4 directions — active in parts of the borough including areas around Blackheath and Ladywell — withdraw some or all of those permitted development rights. Work that's fine on a street two roads over may require a full planning application on yours. There's no obvious sign on your house telling you this applies. Most homeowners only find out when something goes wrong.
Check before you build
Starting work without permission — even if you genuinely believed you didn't need it — can result in enforcement action and costly remediation. The £258 householder application fee is considerably cheaper than that.
Listed buildings add another layer entirely
Lewisham has listed buildings spread across the borough, and they come with requirements that sit entirely outside the normal planning permission framework. If your property is listed — or even shares a boundary wall or structure with one — the rules that apply to you are different again. Listed building consent is a separate process, and the bar for what's acceptable is considerably higher.
Most homeowners with listed properties know they have one. What they don't always know is exactly what that means for their specific project.
The real problem: your property is unique
National planning guidance sets a framework. Lewisham's local policies add a layer. Conservation area designations add another. Article 4 directions add another. And then there's the question of what's actually been approved and refused for similar projects on your street — because planning decisions are made case by case, and local precedent matters.
The best way to understand what applies to your property isn't to read general guidance — it's to check your specific address. WhatCanIBuild shows you the constraints on your property, what's been approved and refused nearby, and what that combination actually means for your project's chances. Not for Lewisham in general. For your house.
If you're planning an extension, a loft conversion, a porch, or any external change to your home, the best way to know where you stand is to check your address first.
WhatCanIBuild tells you what the council has approved on streets like yours — so you're not guessing.
These rules vary by property
Conservation areas, Article 4 directions, and other constraints can change everything. Check what actually applies to your address.
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