Camden Council planning guide: what the council asks for, and which report answers it

What Camden's Local Plan says about extensions and basements

Camden's development plan for householder work is the Camden Local Plan, adopted by the Council on 3 July 2017. Two of its policies carry most of the weight on a house. Policy A5 governs basements, and Policy D2 governs heritage. Our Camden planning permission page covers drawings for applications in the borough.

Policy A5 sets limits as well as asking for evidence. In the plan's own words, a basement should “not exceed 50% of each garden within the property” and the council requires “a Basement Impact Assessment which shows that the scheme poses a risk of damage to neighbouring properties no higher than Burland Scale 1 ‘very slight’”. So the first question for a Camden basement is whether it fits those limits, before it is a drawing question.

Policy D2 says the council “will not permit development that results in harm that is less than substantial to the significance of a designated heritage asset unless the public benefits of the proposal convincingly outweigh that harm”. For an ordinary house extension in a conservation area, that sentence is why the design and the heritage statement have to explain themselves.

A new Local Plan is in preparation. The council's documents page says work has started on its review, so the 2017 plan remains the adopted one to read.

Flood risk and the documents it triggers

In Camden's list, a flood risk assessment is tied to risk on the map and, for basements, to the street. The Flood Risk Assessment row covers all basement development on streets identified as being at flood risk, in an area where historic underground watercourses are known to have been present, or where there is an elevated risk of groundwater flooding. Basements also carry a drainage report requirement.

That means the flood question for a Camden basement is answered by the address. A planning constraints report shows the flood zone, and the flood risk assessment page explains what the assessment contains when one is required. Above-ground householder work outside a mapped risk area does not usually raise it.

Daylight and sunlight

Camden asks for a daylight and sunlight assessment for any proposal with potential to harm the light that other land uses nearby currently receive, including gardens and amenity spaces. The list says the report must follow the Building Research Establishment's “Site layout planning for daylight and sunlight: A guide to good practice” (2022). Ten or more new homes also need an assessment of light within the new units.

That wording is broader than a size threshold. A tall flank wall on a terrace or a two-storey rear addition beside a neighbour's kitchen window can reach it. If your scheme could affect a neighbour's light, a daylight and sunlight report is prepared for you from the drawings by our own team.

Party wall, builder's reports and Camden's construction management plan

Most Camden houses are terraced or semi-detached, so the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 is often in play before a spade goes in. It is national law, separate from planning, and applies to work on or near a shared wall or deep excavation beside a neighbour. Our party wall services guide explains the notices and what a neighbour can do.

On construction, the 2026 list asks for a completed Construction Management Plan pro forma on all major applications and on other applications set out in Local Plan paragraph 6.13. Basements are the case to expect it on. Our construction management plan page explains the document. Builders also need the structure and ground answered first, which is why a basement feasibility visit comes before drawings.

Other reports Camden's list can ask for

Section 4 of the list covers acoustic, air quality, archaeological, biodiversity and contaminated land reports, an energy statement, a lighting assessment and more, each tied to a type of scheme. The Basement Impact Assessment is the one a householder is most likely to meet: it runs through five stages from screening to review, is prepared by suitably qualified professionals, and has a Camden pro forma.

A community infrastructure levy form is needed where a scheme adds more than 100 sq m of new floor space or one or more dwellings, and our CIL form preparation covers it. Applications to Camden are published online, so anything sensitive should be discussed with the council before it is submitted.