Planning Permission in Wandsworth
Fixed-fee, MCIAT-chartered planning permission for Wandsworth homeowners — London Borough of Wandsworth validation and local constraints handled from the start.
Wandsworth is defined by its long Victorian and Edwardian terraced grids — the 'between the commons' streets — where the side-return and rear extension is the most requested householder project and the London Borough of Wandsworth's design expectations are well established. These are consistent house types repeated street after street, so the borough has clear views on rear depth, roof form and side-return design, and a technologist who knows the local pattern can meet those expectations first time rather than discovering them through revisions.
Where you are in the borough shapes the route. Conservation areas such as Wandsworth Common, Tonsley, Nightingale Lane, Clapham Common and Battersea Park tighten control over rooflines, materials and side-return design, and the council applies Article 4 directions to basement development in parts of the borough, requiring a Basement Impact Assessment covering structural stability, drainage and groundwater. Near the riverside, Thames flood-zone considerations also come into play, while much of Battersea and the streets around the commons is Edwardian mansion blocks and converted flats where ownership, lease and party-wall context matters as much as the planning route.
We prepare Wandsworth planning drawings to the borough's residential extension and basement guidance, checking permitted development eligibility and any conservation-area or basement Article 4 constraint for your exact address before design begins, and coordinating structural calculations in-house so these party-wall-sensitive terraces are handled cleanly. The fee is fixed and agreed up front — typically around 30% below an architect's charge for the same council-accepted drawings — with free redraws until Wandsworth approves. Because we draw to the validation checklist, most householder applications move through the council's statutory eight-week determination without the drawing query that is the usual cause of delay, and our ~7-day drawing turnaround keeps schemes moving from the outset.
Planning in Wandsworth: what to know before you apply
Wandsworth applies Article 4 directions to basement development in parts of the borough, requiring a basement impact assessment, and several conservation areas control roof and side-return design. Terraced side-returns are common enough that the council has clear expectations — meeting them first time is straightforward when the drawings are right.
Typical Wandsworth housing stock
Long grids of Victorian and Edwardian terraces — the 'between the commons' streets — plus Edwardian mansion blocks and riverside conversions.
Areas we regularly draw for in Wandsworth
Clapham · Balham · Putney · Tooting · Battersea · Earlsfield · Southfields
What the numbers say about Wandsworth planning decisions
These are London Borough of Wandsworth’s own reported figures, published by government rather than estimated by us. They are what we design against — a borough that refuses one householder application in five needs a different drawing package from one that refuses one in twenty.
Householder decisions in Wandsworth
Every householder application London Borough of Wandsworth decided over the four quarters to 2026 Q1.
| Householder applications decided | 970 |
|---|---|
| Granted | 895 |
| Refused | 75 |
| GrantedEngland average 90% | 92% |
| Of which prior approvalsPrior approvals are granted far more often than full applications, so this share moves the rate above | 32% |
| Decided within 8 weeksExcludes prior approvals. England average 93% | 92% |
Source: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (PS2 district planning application statistics). Open Government Licence v3.0 Extracted 2026-08-16.
Permitted development in Wandsworth
Larger householder extensions put to London Borough of Wandsworth under the prior-approval route, and lawful-development certificates decided, over eight quarters.
| Prior approval not requiredWent ahead without a full application | 61 |
|---|---|
| Prior approval granted | 27 |
| Prior approval refused | 18 |
| Granted where a decision was neededFrom 45 determinations | 60% |
| Building upwards, prior approval refused | 2 |
| Certificates of lawful development decided | 675 |
Source: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (PS1 district planning application statistics). Open Government Licence v3.0 Extracted 2026-08-16.
Designated areas in Wandsworth
Conservation areas London Borough of Wandsworth has published to the national register, and when it designated them. Where a borough has supplied no Article 4 data the row is omitted rather than shown as zero.
| Conservation areas on the register | 46 |
|---|---|
| First designatedOf the 45 whose designation date the register records | 1,969 |
| Most recent designation | 2,023 |
Source: MHCLG Planning Data Platform. Open Government Licence v3.0 Extracted 2026-08-16.
If London Borough of Wandsworth refuses: appeal outcomes
Planning appeals against London Borough of Wandsworth determined by the Planning Inspectorate, 2021–2026. Enforcement notices and withdrawn cases are excluded.
| Appeals determined | 434 |
|---|---|
| Allowed | 120 |
| Dismissed | 314 |
| Householder appeals allowedFrom 195 householder appeals. England average 36% | 36% |
Source: Planning Inspectorate appeals casework. Open Government Licence v3.0 Extracted 2026-08-16.
Planning Permission for Wandsworth homes: the package and the process
A householder application is refused validation far more often than it is refused permission, and almost always for the same reasons: a location plan at the wrong scale, no red line around the application site, a missing ownership certificate, or elevations that do not show every face of the building affected. We prepare the full submission set — location plan, block plan, existing and proposed floor plans, elevations and sections — so the case officer receives a complete case on day one.
Once the application is live we stay on it. Officers routinely come back with questions about materials, boundary treatment or a dimension they cannot read off the drawings, and a fast, drawn answer is usually the difference between a decision inside the statutory period and a request to withdraw and resubmit.
Which route applies is decided by the building before it is decided by policy. A house that has never been extended usually has allowances left to use; a flat, a listed building or a home in a conservation area often has none, and the same drawing set then has to make a design case rather than a compliance one.
Do I need planning permission for an extension in London?
Many single-storey rear extensions, loft conversions and outbuildings fall under permitted development rights and do not need a full planning application — but London's dense housing stock, conservation areas and Article 4 directions frequently withdraw those rights. Before you pay for a full application, we check your property against the current permitted development thresholds and your borough's local constraints.
Where permitted development applies, we recommend a Lawful Development Certificate instead of full planning — it is faster, cheaper and gives you a legal document confirming the work was lawful. Where a full application is genuinely required, we prepare it properly the first time.
Permitted development vs a full planning application
Permitted development lets you build within defined volumetric limits without committee review. A full householder application is assessed against the borough's local plan for scale, daylight, neighbour impact and design. We advise which route your project qualifies for and why.
Article 4 directions and conservation areas
If your home sits in a conservation area or under an Article 4 direction, permitted development rights are often removed — meaning even modest changes need consent. Each borough page lists the local directions and conservation areas we routinely design around.
How do you apply for planning permission through the London Planning Portal?
We manage the full lifecycle of your submission — survey, drawings, supporting documents and officer liaison — so you never have to decode a validation checklist yourself.
Phase 1 — existing and proposed site surveys
A laser-measured survey captures your property exactly, so existing and proposed drawings match reality millimetre for millimetre.
Phase 2 — technical drawing package
Site location plan, block plan, floor plans, elevations and sections drawn to your borough's scale and formatting requirements, with a design and access statement where needed.
Phase 3 — liaison with the planning officer
We answer the council's queries, negotiate amendments, and redraw free until the decision lands.
How long does planning permission take, and what does it cost?
Drawings are typically ready within 7 days of survey. Your council then has a statutory 8 weeks to decide a householder application. Our drawing fees are fixed and quoted upfront — the table below shows typical packages.
| Package | Production window | Compliance layer | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Permitted Development pack | 7–10 working days | Lawful Development Certificate submission | £950–£1,450 |
| Full Planning pack | 10–14 working days | Council liaison & design statement | £1,600–£2,400 |
| Planning + Building Regs pack | 14–21 working days | Structural calculations included | £2,200–£3,850 |
A recent Wandsworth approval
Planning Permission across Wandsworth
Planning Permission in Wandsworth — FAQs
How long does it take to get planning permission from a London council?+
What happens if the council refuses?+
Do you cover my borough?+
Is the fee really fixed?+
Do I need planning permission for a side-return extension in Wandsworth?+
What does Wandsworth's basement Article 4 direction mean for me?+
How long will Wandsworth take to decide my application?+
Can you design an extension for a converted flat near the commons?+
How much do Wandsworth planning drawings cost?+
Get your free Wandsworth planning assessment
Tell us your Wandsworth address and ambition — we'll confirm feasibility, local constraints and a fixed fee within one working day.