Most people only learn how planning permission really works after their first application stalls. A missing document. A neighbour’s objection. A borough that wanted a heritage statement nobody mentioned at pre-application stage. By then, weeks have already gone.

Planning permission London projects go through in 2026 is more procedural, more document-heavy, and more borough-specific than most homeowners or developers expect. The good news: nearly all of that complexity is predictable if you know where to look before you submit, not after.

“Did you know? London boroughs decide roughly 90,000 planning applications a year between them more than any other UK region yet approval rates and processing speed vary dramatically borough to borough, which is why a scheme that sails through in one part of London can be refused for near-identical reasons two boroughs over.”

This guide walks through what planning permission actually covers, how long it takes in practice across London, the difference between outline planning permission and full applications, what householder planning permission means for a typical home project, and how five London boroughs Havering, the City of London, Tower Hamlets, Southwark and Lewisham, plus Richmond differ in process and pace.

What Is Planning Permission in London?

Planning permission is formal consent from your local planning authority or your London borough council to carry out development. That covers new buildings, extensions, conversions, changes of use, and in some cases significant alterations to a property’s external appearance.

Not every project needs it. Many smaller home improvements fall under permitted development rights, which allow certain works without a full application, provided they meet strict size, height and location limits. But permitted development is narrower in London than people assume conservation areas, listed buildings, flats, and Article 4 Directions in several boroughs remove or restrict these rights entirely.

If your property sits in a conservation area, is listed, or is a flat rather than a house, assume you need planning permission until a planning consultant or architect confirms otherwise. Guessing wrong here is the single most expensive mistake we see: work carried out without consent can result in an enforcement notice and a requirement to reverse it, sometimes years after completion. At Studio20 Architects, this is usually the first question we help clients answer, often before a single drawing is produced.

Householder Planning Permission Explained

Householder planning permission is the specific category of application that covers work to a single house not flats, not new dwellings, not commercial buildings.
It applies to:

• Single and double-storey rear or side extensions
• Loft conversions and dormer windows
• Porches, garages and outbuildings
• Changes to windows and doors beyond permitted development limits
• Alterations that affect the external appearance of the house

Householder applications are assessed by a single planning officer under delegated powers in the vast majority of cases, rather than going before a full planning committee. That makes them faster and more predictable than major applications but “faster” is relative, and the 8-week statutory clock is a target, not a guarantee, as the next section shows.

Outline Planning Permission vs Full Planning Permission

For larger residential and development projects, one of the first strategic decisions is whether to apply for outline planning permission or full planning permission.

Outline planning permission establishes whether a development is acceptable in principle the use, and broadly the scale before detailed drawings are produced. Specific design details, known as “reserved matters” (layout, appearance, scale, access and landscaping), are submitted separately, usually within three years of the outline consent being granted. Developers and landowners use this route to test whether a site is viable before committing to full design and survey costs.

Full planning permission requires complete, exhaustive detail from the outset layout, elevations, materials, access, drainage and parking all included in the same submission. If granted, it authorises the project to proceed as designed, once any pre-commencement conditions are discharged. Most single-house extensions, conversions and smaller residential schemes go this route, because splitting a modest project into outline plus reserved matters adds cost and time without a corresponding benefit.

 

	Outline Planning Permission	Full Planning Permission
Best for	Large sites, phased development, land promotion	Extensions, conversions, single dwellings, most residential work
Detail required	Principle of development, indicative scale	Complete design: layout, elevations, materials, access
Follow-up needed	Reserved matters application (within 3 years)	None — approved scheme can proceed
Typical use case	Developers testing site viability before design spend	Homeowners and developers ready to build

If you’re weighing this decision for a specific site, this is exactly the kind of question worth raising at the pre-application stage before drawings, not after.

How Long Does Planning Permission Take in 2026?

How long does planning permission take? This is the question we’re asked more than any other, and the honest answer has two layers: the statutory target, and what actually happens on the ground in London.

The statutory targets:

• Householder applications (extensions, lofts, garden rooms): 8 weeks
• Minor applications (small new builds, changes of use): 8 weeks
• Major applications (10+ dwellings, large commercial schemes): 13 weeks

The reality in London: the 8-week clock only starts once your application has been formally validated, checked for the correct fee, complete drawings and all required certificates. Validation alone can take one to two weeks, and if anything is missing, the clock doesn’t start until you’ve responded. Add a 21-day statutory consultation period for neighbours and consultees, officer assessment time, and the possibility of committee referral for sensitive sites, and a realistic timeline for most London householder applications runs 10 to 14 weeks from submission to decision even when nothing goes wrong.

A rough breakdown of a typical straightforward case:

• Weeks 1–2: Submission and validation
• Weeks 2–5: Neighbour notification and statutory consultation
• Weeks 5–7: Officer assessment against local policy and the National Planning Policy Framework
• Weeks 7–9: Decision (delegated for most householder cases)

Once granted, planning permission is valid for three years from the decision notice work must begin within that window, or the permission lapses.

Common mistake to avoid: treating the 8-week statutory period as your actual project deadline. Builders booked, purchases made and moving dates set against an 8-week assumption are one of the most frequent causes of costly, avoidable stress in residential projects. Plan your programme around 10–14 weeks for a straightforward householder scheme, longer for anything in a conservation area or requiring committee sign-off.

Planning Permission by London Borough

London doesn’t have one planning system; it has 33 of them, each run by a different local planning authority with its own local plan, validation checklist, conservation area policies and case officer workload. Here’s what to expect in six boroughs that come up often in our client conversations.

London Borough of Havering Planning Permission

Havering covers outer east London, including Romford, Upminster and Hornchurch, and has historically processed London boroughs having planning permission applications faster than many inner-London boroughs thanks to lower caseloads and fewer conservation constraints outside its historic centres. That said, Havering has been identified for a significantly higher housing target under the emerging London Plan, which means increasing scrutiny on density, garden land development and outer-suburban character worth factoring into any larger residential scheme here.

City of London Planning Permission

The City of London is a special case: a tiny, dense square mile with its own planning authority separate from the 32 boroughs, covering almost entirely commercial and mixed-use development rather than typical residential extensions. City of London planning permission (and city of London planning permissions, as applicants often search it) applications are shaped heavily by heritage constraints; a significant proportion of the Square Mile sits within conservation areas or involves listed buildings and by the City’s own tall buildings policy. Expect a more document-intensive, design-led process than in residential boroughs, with heritage and townscape assessments frequently required even for modest alterations. It’s a markedly different brief from the work most Residential Architects London-wide take on day to day, which is why homeowners just outside the Square Mile are often better served by a borough-specific approach.

Tower Hamlets Planning Permission

Tower Hamlets planning permission applications cover Canary Wharf, Bethnal Green and Whitechapel the borough handles one of the highest volumes of planning applications in London given its mix of high-density new build, conversions and a large stock of Victorian terraces. Its target for new housing has actually fallen under the draft London Plan relative to previous cycles, which in practice means less policy pressure to maximise density on smaller sites, a useful context if you’re weighing how ambitious a scheme to bring forward.

Southwark Planning Permission

Southwark spans everything from riverside regeneration around London Bridge to residential conservation areas in Dulwich and Peckham. Southwark planning permission applications for householder extensions in its conservation areas typically face closer scrutiny on materials and massing than elsewhere in the borough, so a pre-application enquiry is worth the modest fee before committing to a design.

Lewisham Planning Permission

Lewisham planning permission trends, like Tower Hamlets, have seen the borough’s housing target reduced in the draft London Plan relative to earlier projections, which historically delivered at volume. For homeowners, that’s largely irrelevant day to day but for developers assembling sites, it signals a borough where the numerical case for higher density may carry less weight in the planning balance than it once did, making design quality and local context arguments more important.

Richmond Planning Permission

Richmond upon Thames combines some of London’s strictest conservation area coverage with a strong emphasis on trees, riverside character and heritage protection. Richmond planning permission applications here even straightforward extensions routinely involve tree surveys, daylight and sunlight assessments, and careful attention to street scene character. It’s consistently one of the more document-heavy boroughs to apply in, and budgeting extra time and survey costs from the outset avoids delay later.

Bottom line on boroughs: the policies differ, but the underlying discipline doesn’t. Whichever borough you’re applying in, a pre-application enquiry, a complete first-time submission, and a design that responds to the immediate street context will outperform a generic application every time.

What Documents Do You Need for a Planning Application?

Every London borough runs its own validation checklist, but the core documents required for a planning permission London application are largely consistent across boroughs. Missing even one of these is the most common reason an application sits in limbo before the statutory clock has even started:

• Application form — completed via the Planning Portal, including ownership certificates confirming who owns the land or property
• Site location plan — an up-to-date Ordnance Survey-based plan showing the site edged red, at a recognised scale
• Existing and proposed drawings — floor plans, elevations and sections showing the property as it stands and as proposed, drawn to scale
• Design and access statement — required for most householder and all major applications, explaining how the design responds to its context and how the site will be accessed
• Heritage statement — mandatory if the property is listed or in a conservation area, assessing the proposal’s impact on historic character
• Tree survey — required where trees on or near the site could be affected, particularly common in leafier boroughs such as Richmond
• Planning application fee — payable on submission, calculated according to the type and scale of development

Larger schemes add further requirements: a transport statement, drainage strategy, daylight and sunlight assessment, ecological survey, or an environmental impact assessment for major developments. A planning consultant or architect who has worked in your specific borough will usually know, from experience, which of these a case officer is likely to ask for even when the validation checklist doesn’t explicitly demand it and building that in from the first submission avoids a second round of requests that resets the clock.

Planning Permission Fees in London

Planning application fees are set nationally but scale with the type and size of development, and they’re paid regardless of whether the application is approved or refused. A typical householder application for a single extension or loft conversion carries a modest, fixed fee, while applications for new dwellings are charged per unit, and major commercial or multi-unit residential schemes scale up significantly from there.

A few points worth knowing before you budget for a project:

• Fees are non-refundable, even if the application is refused, which is another reason a well-prepared first submission matters more than speed.
• One free resubmission is generally available within 12 months of a refusal or withdrawal, provided the revised scheme is broadly similar in nature and scale useful if a first attempt is refused on a point that can be redesigned around.
• Pre-application advice carries its own fee, set independently by each borough, and can range from a modest flat charge for a householder enquiry to a substantial sum for a major pre-application meeting but it’s generally cheaper than a refused application and a second full fee.
• Listed building consent applications are free, though they’re usually submitted alongside a fee-bearing planning application for the same works.

Budgeting for fees alongside architect, planning consultant and survey costs from the outset avoids an unwelcome surprise midway through a project particularly for developers assembling a multi-application programme across several sites.

Common Mistakes Homeowners and Developers Make

• Assuming permitted development covers the project. Flats, listed buildings, conservation areas and Article 4 Directions frequently remove rights that would otherwise apply, always check before designing around an assumption.
• Submitting incomplete applications. Missing documents are the single most common cause of delay before the statutory clock even starts.
• Underestimating neighbour consultation. Objections don’t automatically mean refusal, but they do trigger additional officer time and, in some boroughs, committee referral.
• Ignoring the local plan’s design guidance. Generic extension designs that ignore local character brick type, roof pitch, window proportions face more scrutiny than schemes that clearly respond to their setting.
• Fixing a project timeline around 8 weeks. As covered above, 10–14 weeks is the realistic window for most London householder applications.

Studio20’s Take: What Actually Gets Applications Approved

Based on the applications we’ve taken through London boroughs over the years, the schemes that get approved fastest share one habit: they’re designed with the case officer’s assessment in mind from day one, not adjusted to fit it after a refusal.

That means understanding the borough’s local plan and conservation area guidance before the first drawing is produced, not after a planning officer flags a concern. It means having honest conversations with clients about where a design pushes the boundary of what a street will accept, rather than discovering that boundary through a refusal notice. And it means treating pre-application advice where a borough offers it as a genuine design input, not a box-ticking exercise.

Planning permission London projects reward preparation. A well-prepared householder planning permission application with the right supporting documents, a design that respects its context, and a realistic understanding of timescales will consistently outperform a rushed submission even in the boroughs known for slower processing.

Ready to start your planning application?

Studio20 Architects works with homeowners and developers across London’s boroughs to design schemes that get approved not just submitted. If you’re planning an extension, conversion or new development anywhere from Havering to Richmond, contact us for an initial consultation.

FAQ

Q1. How long does planning permission take in London? 

Ans – The statutory target is 8 weeks for householder and minor applications, 13 weeks for major schemes. In practice, most London applications take 10 to 14 weeks from submission to decision once validation and consultation time are included.

Q2. What is householder planning permission? 

Ans – It’s the application category covering work to single house extensions, loft conversions, porches and similar alterations as distinct from applications for flats, new dwellings or commercial buildings.

Q3. What’s the difference between outline and full planning permission? 

Ans – Outline planning permission approves the principle and broad scale of a development, with detailed design submitted later as “reserved matters.” Full planning permission requires complete design detail upfront and, once granted, allows the project to proceed as designed.

Q4. Do I need planning permission for a house extension in London? 

Ans – It depends on the extension’s size, height and your property type. Many single-storey rear extensions fall under permitted development, but this is significantly restricted for flats, listed buildings and conservation areas which cover large parts of London.

Q5. How long is planning permission valid once granted? 

Ans – Three years from the date of the decision notice. Work must begin within that period, or the permission lapses and a fresh application is required.

Q6. Does every London borough process planning permission the same way? 

Ans – No. Each of London’s 33 planning authorities, the 32 boroughs plus the City of London has its own local plan, validation requirements and typical processing speed, so requirements for a project in Richmond can differ meaningfully from an identical project in Havering or Tower Hamlets.

Q7. Should I get pre-application advice before submitting? 

Ans – For anything beyond a straightforward extension, yes. Pre-application advice isn’t mandatory, but it surfaces borough-specific concerns, heritage, trees, neighbour amenity while your design is still flexible enough to respond to them.