London Borough of Southwark
Planning & Conservation in Southwark
Southwark stretches from the river to Dulwich. We design and prepare planning and building regulation drawings across the borough — following Southwark’s published householder validation checklist and Dulwich’s dual Estate/council control where it applies.
The London Borough of Southwark has an extensive conservation-area portfolio — around fifty areas in all. In Dulwich, three are especially relevant: Dulwich Village (designated September 1968 and extended in 2005), Dulwich Wood (1985) and the Sunray Estate (2009), where external alterations are closely assessed and some permitted-development rights are removed.
Southwark publishes a detailed householder planning checklist. Core items include the correct form (householder for a single house — not flats), ownership certificate, CIL additional information, location and site plans, existing/proposed floor plans and elevations, and London Plan Policy D12 fire safety information or a Reasonable Exception form. Sections are required for roof height changes, basements, roof extensions and ground-level changes; design/access statements for conservation-area homes; heritage statements for listed buildings; daylight assessments where neighbour amenity is sensitive; archaeological assessment in priority areas or for extensive groundworks; and a basement impact assessment for new or extended basements prepared by a suitably qualified engineer or geologist.
Dulwich carries a second, unusual layer of control. Much of the area is subject to the Dulwich Estate Scheme of Management — a private scheme made under the Leasehold Reform Act 1967 and approved by the High Court in 1974, administered by The Dulwich Estate. It requires the Estate’s own written consent, separate from and in addition to Southwark planning permission, for works affecting external appearance. Consent from one body does not guarantee consent from the other.
We help clients assemble validation-ready packages, coordinate Estate and council tracks in Dulwich, and prepare building regulations drawings after the principle is settled. Confirm which controls apply to your property before assuming permitted development.
How planning works here
London Borough of Southwark: process for homeowners
Southwark publishes detailed householder validation checklists — including when sections, BIAs, archaeology and design/access statements are required — plus a householder SPD design standard.
Householder process
1. Application type: householder vs full
Southwark’s householder checklist is for works to a single house (extensions, lofts, outbuildings, etc.). Works to a flat need a full planning application, not householder forms. Confirm tenure before choosing the form.
2. Must-include validation items
Core requirements include the householder form, correct ownership certificate, CIL additional information form, location plan (red line), site plan, and existing/proposed floor plans and elevations. London Plan Policy D12 fire safety information or a Reasonable Exception form is also listed on Southwark’s householder checklist.
Invalid packages do not start determination. Follow Southwark’s published checklist and valid planning drawings visual guide rather than a national guess.
3. When sections, roofs and levels are required
Southwark requires existing and proposed sections when altering ceiling/roof heights, doing basement works, adding roof extensions, or changing ground levels (e.g. sunken patios). Roof plans are required when changing roofs, adding rooflights or outbuildings. Levels/gradient plans are needed when changing ground levels relative to neighbours.
4. Conditional reports
Design and access statements for conservation-area homes (and sometimes CA edges); heritage statements for listed buildings; daylight/sunlight assessments where extensions may affect neighbours; archaeological desk-based assessment in archaeological priority areas or for basements/extensive groundworks; tree surveys where trees are affected; basement impact assessment for new or extended basements.
Project types & evidence
Extensions and lofts
Design against Southwark Plan design policies and the householder SPD. Sections through neighbours matter for amenity. Lofts that change roof height need sections and roof plans on the validation list.
Basements
Submit a basement impact assessment prepared by a suitably qualified engineer or geologist who is a member of a relevant professional body. Include floor plan, section, ceiling height, access and rooflight details as set out on Southwark’s checklist. Check archaeological priority mapping for groundworks.
Design standards and heritage
Southwark points applicants to the householder SPD and heritage SPD for design expectations on ordinary and heritage homes. Completeness of the evidence list is part of assessment culture — missing daylight or heritage material delays merits.
Drawing standards
Use Southwark’s valid planning drawings guide: consistent scales, scale bars, north arrows, written dimensions on extensions, and ceiling-height notes on lofts/basements where heights fall below 2.3m. Existing and proposed sheets must tell one story.
Official sources used on this page
- Southwark — Planning checklists householder application
- Southwark — Planning permission for homeowners
Policy and Article 4 maps change. Confirm designations for your exact address on the council’s live planning map before relying on any general description.
Areas we cover
Prime neighbourhoods in Southwark
Architects in Bermondsey
Southwark is the Bermondsey point authority, with Tower Hamlets and Lewisham detected elsewhere inside 1,400 metres. The conservation search ranged from Bermondsey Street, Pages Walk and Thorburn Square to St Saviours Dock, Tooley Street and records across the river. That breadth is a boundary warning, not evidence that a property shares every context. A project should locate the precise premises before deciding which authority, conservation boundary or supporting document belongs in its architectural brief.
View areaArchitects in Camberwell
The Camberwell research point returned Southwark, with Lambeth also present within 1,400 metres. Its radius included Camberwell Green, Camberwell Grove, Camberwell New Road and Addington Square, alongside Brixton Road, Minet Estate, Walworth Road and other separate designations. These records demonstrate a varied nearby planning context without assigning any one of them to a client address. Camberwell project advice should therefore begin with a property pin and a verified borough boundary rather than a locality-wide conservation assumption.
View areaArchitects in East Dulwich
East Dulwich’s checked point returned Southwark, while Lambeth appeared in the surrounding 1,400-metre authority evidence. The East Dulwich screen comprises eight titles—The Gardens, Dulwich Village, Dulwich Wood, Sunray Estate, Camberwell Grove, Holly Grove, Nunhead Green and Rye Lane Peckham. That varied list is a research perimeter, not a single East Dulwich designation. A project must first confirm its exact council and spatial relationship to the returned boundaries before the local context can guide design or submission scope.
View areaArchitects in Elephant and Castle
Elephant and Castle’s research point returned Southwark, with Lambeth also appearing within 1,400 metres. The radius produced a dense set of records including St Georges Circus, Trinity Church Square, Pullens Estate, Walworth Road, Borough High Street, Waterloo and several Lambeth designations. Such density makes the address more—not less—important. The search does not place a property inside any returned boundary, so authority and conservation mapping must precede claims about context, consent or architectural response.
View areaArchitects in Honor Oak
The Honor Oak research point returned Southwark, while Lewisham appeared within 1,400 metres. Nearby conservation records included Honor Oak Rise, Forest Hill, Brockley, Nunhead Cemetry, Perry Vale and Christmas Estate, and Stanstead Grove. This two-authority result demands a precise site check, particularly because the locality name alone does not establish which council decides. None of the six returned records proves designation for a client address or supports assumptions about the property’s architecture.
View areaArchitects in Nunhead
Nunhead’s checked point returned Southwark, with Lewisham also found within 1,400 metres. Its nearby conservation records included Nunhead Green, Nunhead Cemetry, Telegraph Hill, Brockley, Holly Grove, Honor Oak Rise, Rye Lane Peckham and The Gardens. The list crosses a borough boundary and several distinct contexts. It does not demonstrate that a particular Nunhead address is designated. Authority routing and official polygon mapping must come before a project describes local sensitivity or chooses supporting planning evidence.
View areaArchitects in Peckham
Peckham’s checked research point returned Southwark, while Lewisham also appeared within 1,400 metres. Fifteen conservation records were nearby, including Rye Lane Peckham, Peckham Hill Street, Holly Grove, Nunhead Green, Camberwell Grove and Telegraph Hill. This is a varied search area, not evidence of a single protected Peckham context. A project should confirm its council boundary and map the exact address before any returned name is used to frame architectural character, likely consent information or design priorities.
View areaArchitects in Rotherhithe
The Rotherhithe point returned Southwark, while Tower Hamlets and Lewisham were also found within 1,400 metres. The conservation search named Edward III’s Rotherhithe, St Marys Rotherhithe and Wilson Grove, but also Wapping Pierhead, Wapping Wall, Narrow Street and several east-of-river records. This cross-river evidence must be filtered carefully. It does not place a Rotherhithe property inside any designation or transfer planning authority across the Thames; the exact premises location remains the controlling fact.
View areaArchitects in Southwark
Southwark’s research point returned Southwark, but the surrounding 1,400 metres also reached Lambeth, Westminster, Camden, Islington and the City. The conservation list was correspondingly extensive, including Borough High Street, South Bank, Union Street, Trinity Church Square, Waterloo and many City records. This six-authority context makes a broad “Southwark” label unsuitable for property-level advice. The exact premises and mapped boundary must determine which council material and conservation evidence legitimately belongs in the project.
View areaSouthwark
Architects in Dulwich
We design extensions, loft conversions and refurbishments across Dulwich, from the Victorian terraces of East Dulwich to the Georgian houses of Dulwich Village. Here we also navigate the Dulwich Estate scheme of management, a consent layer beyond planning.
View areaPlanning in Southwark: FAQs
Do I need Dulwich Estate consent as well as planning permission?
Is my Dulwich home in a conservation area?
Can I use a householder application for a flat in Southwark?
When does Southwark require a basement impact assessment?
Do I need section drawings for a loft in Southwark?
Planning a project in Southwark?
Send us the address, property type and a short description of the work. We will advise whether you are likely to need planning drawings, building regulations drawings, listed building advice or leasehold approval drawings.